Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m tall. Bark light brown. Branchlets of current year yellow-brownish stellate-pubescent; branchlets of previous year gray-brownish, terete, glabrous, with dispersed, small, rounded lenticels. Winter buds small, ovoid, with 2 pairs of separate scales; scales yellow-brownish, stellate-pubescent, apex obtuse. Leaves always opposite, not clustered at apices of branchlets; stipules absent; petiole green or reddish, slender, 1-2 cm, yellow-brownish tomentose; leaf blade purplish green when young, becoming dark green adaxially, broadly elliptic, broadly elliptic-oblong, or oblong-obovate, 3-9.5 × 2.5-4.5 cm, papery, abaxially pubescent, with dispersed red-brownish scalelike tiny glands, adaxially pubescent, midvein raised abaxially, lateral veins 5-or 6-jugate, pinnate, arched, rarely branched, anastomosing near margin, slightly raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, veinlets transverse, conspicuous abaxially, inconspicuous adaxially, not lobed, base rounded to acuminate, sometimes ± truncate, without glands, margin serrate except at base, apex obtuse to rounded. Flowers appearing after leaves; inflorescence a compound corymblike panicle, terminal or at apices of lateral branchlets with 1-jugate leaves, 3-4 × 4.5-6 cm; rays opposite, decussate; first node of inflorescence with 2 rays, dense, yellow-brownish tomentose, without large sterile radiant flowers; peduncles (3-)4-6 cm; bracts and bracteoles caducous, leaflike, green-whitish, linear to linear-lanceolate, densely yellow-brownish stellate-tomentose. Flowers on rays of 3rd order, not fragrant, sessile. Calyx green; tube tubular-campanulate, ca. 2 mm, with red-brownish tiny glands; lobes broadly ovate or ovate-triangular, ca. 0.7 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse. Corolla white, rotate, 2.5-5 mm in diam., glabrous; tube 1.5-2 mm; lobes spreading, orbicular, ca. 2 mm, slightly exceeding tube, apex rounded, margin entire. Stamens exceeding corolla lobes, inserted at apex of corolla tube; filaments ca. 2.5 mm; anthers yellow-whitish, globose, ca. 1 mm. Styles slightly exceeding calyx lobes; stigmas capitate. Fruit unknown. Fl. Jun.
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