Shrubs, evergreen, ca. 1 m tall. Branches deep gray, sulcate; shoots pale yellow, terete, sparsely black verruculose; spines 3-fid, 1-2 cm, adaxially flat or slightly sulcate. Petiole 3-5 mm; leaf blade abaxially shiny, adaxially green, slightly shiny, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 3-5(-7) × 1-2(-2.5) cm, leathery, both surfaces not pruinose, abaxially glaucous, midvein obviously raised, adaxially with slightly impressed midvein, lateral veins slightly raised, both surfaces with inconspicuous reticulate veins, base attenuate, margin 8-14-spinose-serrate on each side, apex acute or subacuminate. Flowers (2-)4-8-fascicled. Pedicels 4-7 mm, slender; bractlets triangular-ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, apex acute. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals broadly obovate or suborbicular, ca. 3.5 mm, apex rounded. Petals obovate, ca. 3 mm, base clawed, with approximate glands, apex entire, rounded, or slightly emarginate. Stamens ca. 2 mm; anther connective shortly apiculate. Ovules 2 or 3. Berry green (immature), ellipsoid, 6-7 × 3-4 mm, sometimes pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Sep.