Taxillus chinensis is a small evergreen shrub. Old branches are glabrous and with raised grayish yellow lenticels while young twigs are slightly covered with dark gray short hair. Leaves are alternate, simple or nearly opposite, leathery, oval or long oval , 3 to 7cm long, 2 to 5cm wide, and with obtuse apex, rounded or broadly cuneate apex, entire margin, and faint, sparse veins; petiole is 1 to 1.5cm long, smooth, or with very short stellate hairs when young. Flowers are bisexual, 1 to 3 forming axillary cymes; peduncle is 4 to 10 mm long and covered with red-brown stellate hairs; pedicel is short; small bract is 1 in number, oval, and minimal; calyx is nearly spherical, gamogenic with ovary, and outside covered with red-brown stellate hairs; floral tube is narrowly tubular, 2 to 2.5cm long, 4-lobed atop, and with lobe that is purple, delicate, slightly curved, and covered with red-brown stellate hairs; stamens are 4; pistil is 1, and with slender style, flat stigma, and spherical inferior ovary. Berries are oval and with small warts. Bloom time is from August to October and fruiting time is from September to October.
