Shrubs, evergreen, 1-3 m tall. Branches deep gray, angulate, not verruculose; shoots stramineous, glabrous; internodes 3.5-5.5 cm; spines 3-fid, 3-10 mm, slender, sometimes absent. Petiole 1-3 mm; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially deep green, shiny, elliptic or oblong, 2-5 × 1-2 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially not pruinose, midvein obviously raised, lateral and reticulate veins conspicuous, adaxially with obviously impressed midvein, lateral and reticulate veins indistinct, base cuneate or shortly attenuate, margin 12-16-spinose-serrate on each side, apex acute. Flowers 2-5-fascicled. Pedicels 5-12 mm, slender; bractlets ovate, ca. 2.5 × 1 mm, apex acute. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals ovate, ca. 4 × 1.8 mm, apex obtuse; inner sepals obovate, ca. 6 × 3.5 mm, apex rounded. Petals obovate, ca. 5 × 3 mm, base cuneate, with separate glands, apex incised. Stamens 5-8 mm; anther connective slightly prolonged, truncate. Ovules 2. Fruit stalk to 1.5 cm; berry black, oblong, ca. 8 × 4-5 mm, slightly pruinose; style persistent, short. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Oct.