Shrubs, deciduous, to 2 m tall. Branches dark purple, black verruculose; shoots green, sulcate; spines 3-fid, orange, 6-10 mm, adaxially slightly sulcate. Petiole 2-5 mm; leaf blade abaxially pale gray, adaxially dark green, oblong-obovate or elliptic, 2-4 × 1-2 cm, papery, abaxially pruinose, adaxially with reticulate veins, base cuneate, margin 5-12-spinose-serrate on each side, apex rounded, obtuse. Flowers 2-4-fascicled, occasionally solitary or 2 or 3 flowers in simple racemes. Pedicels 2-3 cm. Sepals in 2 whorls, oblong-elliptic; outer sepals 7-7.5 × 4-4.5 mm; inner sepals 7.5-8 × 4.5-5 mm. Petals oblong, ca. 5 × 3.7 mm, base with separate glands, apex entire. Stamens ca. 4 mm; anther connective prolonged, apiculate. Ovules 7-11. Berry orange, ovoid, 1.5-1.6 cm × 7-8 mm, not pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Oct.