Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m tall. Bark light brown. Branchlets of current year with dense yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs; branchlets of previous year gray-brown, terete, glabrous, with dispersed, small, rounded lenticels. Winter buds ovoid, with 2 pairs of separate scales; scales with dense yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs. Leaves always opposite, not clustered at apices of branchlets; stipules absent; petiole green, slender, 1(-2) cm, with dense yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs; leaf blade yellowish green when young, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 8-17 × 4-7 cm, papery to thickly papery, both surfaces glabrous throughout except midvein and lateral veins yellow-brown bristlelike hairy, midvein raised abaxially, lateral veins 8-12-jugate, pinnate, straight or slightly arched, rarely branched, ending in teeth, raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, veinlets transverse, slightly raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, not lobed, base shallowly cordate or subrounded, with 0-2 circular glands on both sides of midvein near base, margin remotely denticulate, entire or slightly crenate at base, apex long acuminate or abruptly caudate. Flowers appearing after leaves; inflorescence a compound umbel-like cyme, terminal, 5-6 cm in diam.; rays whorled; first node of inflorescence usually with 5 rays, lax, with dense yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs, without large sterile radiant flowers; peduncle 1-4 cm; bracts and bracteoles deciduous, leaflike, green, linear-lanceolate, hairy. Flowers on rays of 2nd and 3rd orders, not fragrant, shortly pedicellate or sessile. Calyx yellowish green; tube obconical, ca. 1.5 mm, with yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs; lobes triangular-ovate, very short, ca. 0.5 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse. Corolla white, rotate, ca. 4 mm in diam., outside with few yellow-brown stellate bristlelike hairs; tube ca. 1.5 mm; lobes spreading, suborbicular, slightly exceeding tube, apex rounded, margin entire. Stamens slightly exceeding corolla, inserted at base of corolla; filaments ca. 3 mm; anthers yellow-whitish, elliptic, ca. 1 mm. Styles slightly exceeding calyx lobes; stigmas capitate. Fruit maturing red, ovoid-ellipsoid, compressed, 8-10 × 6-7 mm, base rounded, apex rounded, glabrous; pyrenes ovoid, 7-8 × 5-6 mm, with 2 dorsal grooves and 3 ventral grooves, apex rounded. Fl. May, fr. Aug-Nov.
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