An evergreen shrub up to 6 ft high, increasing by sucker growths from the base; young shoots minutely downy. Leaves narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, slenderly pointed, wedge-shaped at the base, 2 to 31⁄2 in. long, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. wide, bright green and quite glabrous; stalk about 1⁄4 in. long. Flowers small, fragrant, unisexual, white, crowded in the leaf-axils; styles three; fruit nearly globose, 1⁄4 in. wide, black. Flowers in late autumn.
A native of the eastern Himalaya, N. Assam and S.E.Tibet. Although introduced in the last century, it is less common now than its Chinese variety and rather less hardy. It received an Award of Merit when shown from Bodnant in 1936.
var. digyna Franch. – This is a variety from W. China, introduced in 1908 by Wilson. It is of dwarfer habit than the Himalayan type and is quite hardy. Its chief botanical distinction is in having only two styles to each flower. From S. ruscifolia it is distinct in its black fruits, that species having dark red ones. Award of Garden Merit 1963.
cv. ‘Purple Stem’. – a variant of the var. digyna in which the young stems, petioles and midribs are dull purple.