Shrubs, evergreen, 1-1.5 m tall. Branches stramineous to brownish gray, terete, glabrous; spines 3-fid, concolorous, 2.5-4 cm, stout, adaxially sulcate. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially dark green, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 4.5-14 × 1.5-2.5 cm, leathery, abaxially not pruinose, lateral veins 13-16 pairs, both surfaces with obviously raised reticulate veins, base cuneate, margin 30-60-spinose-serrulate on each side, apex acuminate. Flowers 6-8-fascicled. Pedicels red, to 1.5 cm, glabrous. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals broadly ovate, ca. 3.5 × 3 mm, apex obtuse; inner sepals oblong-elliptic, ca. 5 × 3.5 mm, apex obtuse. Petals obovate, ca. 4.5 × 3.5 mm, base clawed, with oblong glands, apex rounded, emarginate. Stamens ca. 4 mm; anther connective truncate. Ovules 2, sessile. Berry black, ellipsoid to globose, 6-8 × 4-5 mm, not pruinose, style persistent and very short; seeds 2. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Sep-Oct.