Shrubs, deciduous, 1-3 m tall. Branches grayish brown, sulcate, sparsely verruculose; shoots purplish red; spines simple, terete, 3-15 mm, but spines on shoots to 2.5 cm. Petiole ca. 1 cm; leaf blade abaxially initially gray, ultimately green, adaxially dark green, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 4-9 × 1-2 cm, thinly papery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially initially slightly pruinose, midvein slightly raised, lateral veins visible, adaxially with flat midvein, lateral veins inconspicuous, both surfaces not reticulate, base attenuate, margin 8-20-spinose-serrate on each side, but on shoots margin entire, apex acuminate or acute. Inflorescence a raceme, 6-20-flowered, 5-6 cm including peduncle 0.4-1.5 cm, sometimes compound below, glabrous. Pedicels 3-5 mm, glabrous; bractlets red, lanceolate, 2-2.5 × ca. 0.7 mm. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals oblong-ovate, 2-2.5 × 0.8-1 mm, apex acute; inner sepals obovate, 4-4.5 × ca. 3 mm. Petals elliptic, 5-5.5 × ca. 3 mm, base with separate glands, apex emarginate. Stamens ca. 3 mm; anther connective not prolonged, truncate. Ovules 2. Berry red, oblong, 8-9 × 4-5 mm, not pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Aug-Sep.
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