Shrubs, deciduous, to 1.5 m tall. Branches pale yellow, glabrous, sulcate, scarcely black verruculose; shoots dark purple, initially pubescent, becoming glabrous; spines 3-fid, 4-12 mm. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade adaxially deep green, narrowly obovate or oblanceolate, 10-20 × 2.5-4 mm, thickly papery or subleathery, abaxially papillate, not pruinose, adaxially glabrous, both surfaces with inconspicuous reticulate veins, base cuneate, margin entire or 1-3-spinose-serrate on each side, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicels 5-10 mm, slender; bractlets red, ovate, ca. 1.4 cm, apex acute. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals oblong-ovate, ca. 4 × 2.2 mm, apex obtuse; inner sepals oblong-obovate, ca. 5.5 × 3 mm. Petals ca. 4.5 × 2.5 mm, base not clawed, with separate glands, apex incised with acute lobes. Stamens ca. 2.2 mm; anther connective slightly prolonged, rounded. Ovules 2. Berry red, ovoid or ovoid-ellipsoid, 6-9(-12) × 5-7 mm, sometimes slightly pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Sep-Oct.