Shrubs or trees, 1-5 m tall. Branches brown to gray, glabrous, with pale elliptic lenticels. Petiole 0.7-1.6 cm; leaf blade elliptic, obovate-elliptic, or ovate, 3-8.5 × 2.8-4.5 cm, papery to thickly papery, midvein abaxially convex and adaxially flat, secondary veins slightly convex on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin entire, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences terminal or axillary cymes, ca. 4 cm; bracts broadly ovate. Pedicel 2-3 mm. Sepals 5-9 × 2-3.8 mm. Petals white; claw 2-3.8 cm; blades 1-2 × 0.6-1.5 mm. Filament tube 2-4.8 mm. Ovary 4-loculed; styles 4; stigmas capitate. Capsule long ellipsoid to ovoid, 1-1.9 cm, 4-valvate. Seeds usually 2 per locule, with a membranous wing. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Aug-Mar.