Shrubs or small trees, ca. 10 m tall. Branchlets glabrous or young ones pubescent. Leaves clustered at branchlet apex, biennial; petiole 1–1.5 cm or more; leaf blade dark green and shiny adaxially, obovate-lanceolate, rarely obovate or oblong, 5–12 × 2–5 cm, thinly leathery, puberulous abaxially at first, soon glabrate, lateral veins 9–11-paired, slightly convex abaxially, prominent adaxially, base cuneate, margin flat, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Inflorescences 3–5 in leaf-axils at branchlet apex, corymbose, 3–4 cm, puberulous; peduncle 1–1.5 cm; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 4–6 mm, puberulous; pedicels ca. 1 cm. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, puberulous. Petals free, 6–8 mm. Stamens slightly shorter than or sometimes 1/2 as long as petals. Ovary ovoid, pubescent; placentas 2, parietal; ovules 7–10. Style usually puberulous. Capsule subglobose, compressed, 7–8 mm in diam., dehiscing by 2 valves; pericarp thin; placentas in proximal part of valves. Seeds 7–10, 3–4 mm; funicle very short. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Jul–Nov.
Forests, thickets, slopes, limestone areas, roadsides; at elevations from 600-3,500 metres.