Shrubs, deciduous, ca. 1.5 m tall. Branches dark gray, angulate, glabrous; shoots stramineous or pale purplish red, sparsely black verruculose; spines 3-fid or simple, pale yellow, 1-2 cm, adaxially slightly sulcate. Petiole ca. 1 cm; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially green, elliptic or obovate, 1.5-4.5 × 0.5-1.7 cm, papery, abaxially glabrous, not pruinose, midvein obviously raised, lateral and reticulate veins conspicuous, adaxially with slightly impressed midvein, lateral and reticulate veins inconspicuous, sometimes conspicuous, base cuneate, margin 10-20-spinulose-serrulate on each side, apex acute or rounded, obtuse. Inflorescence a raceme, 4-8-flowered, 1.5-3.5 cm including peduncle ca. 5 mm, sometimes compound below; bracts ovate, ca. 1.3 mm. Pedicels 5-8 mm, slender, glabrous; bractlets lanceolate, ca. 3 × 1 mm. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals elliptic, 4.5-5 × 2.5-3 mm; inner sepals oblong-elliptic, ca. 6 × 4 mm. Petals obovate-elliptic, 5-5.5 × 3-3.5 mm, base clawed, with separate glands, apex entire. Stamens ca. 3 mm; anther connective slightly prolonged, apiculate. Ovules 5 or 6. Berry red, oblong, 7-8 × 4-5 mm, not pruinose; style persistent and very short, or not persistent. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Sep.