Shrubs, evergreen, 1-1.5 m tall. Stems terete; branches pale grayish yellow, not verruculose; shoots reddish, glabrous; spines 3-fid, pale yellow, 1.5-3 cm, adaxially sulcate. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade abaxially pale yellow, shiny, adaxially dark green, lanceolate, 5-11 × 1-2 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially not pruinose, midvein raised, lateral veins slightly raised, adaxially with impressed midvein, base cuneate, margin slightly undulate, slightly revolute, 10-30-spinose-serrate on each side, apex acuminate. Flowers 2-10-fascicled. Pedicels 1.5-3.5 cm, glabrous; bractlets ovate, ca. 2 × 2 mm. Sepals in 3 whorls; outer sepals reddish brown, oblong-ovate, ca. 3.5 × 3 mm; median sepals obovate, concave, ca. 5 × 4 mm; inner sepals obovate, concave, ca. 7.5 × 5.5 mm. Petals obovate, base clawed, with approximate glands, apex rounded and narrowly incised. Stamens ca. 4 mm; anther connective slightly prolonged, obtuse. Ovules 2-4. Berry ovoid to ellipsoid, ca. 9 × 6 mm, blue pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Oct.
Can be grown by cuttings. Seeds needs stratification.