A deciduous shrub up to 6 ft high, of spreading habit; young shoots slightly downy. Leaves ovate to lanceolate, slenderly pointed, broadly wedge-shaped or almost rounded at the base, sharply, jaggedly, unevenly toothed; 11⁄2 to 3 in. long, 3⁄4 to 11⁄4 in. wide, bright green above, more or less downy on both surfaces but especially beneath; stalk 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 in. long. Flowers white, about 1⁄4 in. wide, produced in early June in flattish corymbs 2 to 31⁄2 in. across that terminate leafy shoots; flower-stalks all downy.
Native of W. Szechwan, China; introduced under Wilson’s No. 965 in 1909. Nearly related to S. longigemmis and having the same curious elongated winter buds, but that is a glabrous shrub as regards the young shoots and nearly so as regards the leaves.
S. prattii Schneid. – Made synonymous with this species in Plantae Wilsonianae, vol. I, this seems to differ in its sturdier growth; more compact, densely flowered, rounded corymbs; smaller, more abundant and more densely pubescent leaves. It was found by A. E. Pratt in W. Szechwan (No. 190).