Shrubs or small trees to 13 feet high. Leaves broad-oval to suborbicular, 1-2″ long, with lateral, conspicuous parallel veins in 8-13 pairs. Margins coarsely serrate or dentate to below middle or sometimes entire or with a few small teeth at the top. Flowers in upright racemes (April and May), short and rather dense, 5-15 flowered, densely silky-villous; petals white, sepals more or less pilose within, becoming reflexed in age, stamens about 20, styles 5, united below. Summit of ovary persistently tomentose. Fruit glabrous, glaucous, purple-black.