Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m tall. Terminal winter bud underdeveloped, substituted by 2 lateral buds. Winter buds with a pair of outer scales covering inner scales. Young branches and petioles usually densely bristly, interspersed with glandular hairs. Petiole 3-8 mm; leaf blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 3-12 × 1.5-6 cm, both surfaces stiffly strigose, base cuneate to rounded, margin usually undulate to shallowly lobed, and ciliate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences axillary paired flowers and at base of new shoots; flowers opening early in season; peduncle very short, usually concealed by bud scales at anthesis, not accrescent in fruit; bracts broadly ovate, to 1 cm; bracteoles absent. Paired ovaries free. Calyx cupular, irregularly lobed; lobes rounded. Peduncle, bracts, ovaries, calyx, and corolla densely glandular hairy. Corolla white to purplish or pink, tubular-hypocrateriform, 1-1.4 cm, with spreading subregular lobes, densely hairy at mouth and inside tube; tube shallowly gibbous at base, concealed by bracts; lobes 3-6 mm. Stamens and style included, less than half as long as corolla tube. Style glabrous. Berries red, ellipsoid, 1-1.2 cm, glandular hairy; seeds brownish, oblong, ca. 5 mm, smooth. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. May-Jun.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
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