Aucuba chinensis is a shrub or small tree, native to southern China, Burma and Vietnam. Typically it grows to 6 meters tall, though it can be larger. The leaves are thick, dark green above and light green below, sometimes with teeth along the margins.
Aucuba chinensis, Trees or shrubs, 3–6(–12) m tall; branches green, dichotomous, stout, smooth. Petiole 2–4 cm, stout, smooth; leaf blade abaxially light green, adaxially deep green, elliptic to broadly elliptic, rarely obovate-elliptic or linear-lanceolate, 7–25 × 1.5–8 cm, leathery or thickly leathery, midvein raised abaxially, conspicuous adaxially; lateral veins 6–8(–10) pairs, sometimes emerging at right angle from midvein, base broadly cuneate or cuneate, slightly oblique, margin slightly revolute, often serrate or glandular dentate with 5–8 teeth, apex acute or cuspidate. Staminate inflorescences loosely paniculate, 5–13 cm; branches densely pubescent. Carpellate inflorescence shortly paniculate, shorter than staminate, 2.5–5 cm; branches densely pubescent.