Deciduous shrubs, prostrate, less than 1 m tall; branches and twigs 4-angled, brown or gray-brown when dry. Petiole 1-2 mm; leaves papery, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 1.8-3.6 × 0.9-1.7 cm, base broadly cuneate or subrotund, margin finely crenulate, apex acute or shortly acuminate; lateral veins 4-6 pairs, slightly prominent on both sides. Pedicel glabrous, ca. 2 cm. Flowers 4-merous, only 1 axillary, 7-8 mm in diam.; sepals rotund, very small; petals greenish yellow, suborbicular, 2-3 mm. Ovary densely prickly. Capsule dark red to red-purple when fresh, black when dry, nearly globose, 1-1.2 cm in diam., densely prickly, prickles ca. 2 mm. Seeds only 1 per locule; aril orange. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Sep-Oct.
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