Deciduous shrubs, scandent, 2-3 m tall; branches and twigs striate, angulate, brown or gray-brown when dry, sometimes black. Petiole less than ca. 1 cm; leaf blade thinly leathery or thickly papery, ovate, obovate, elliptic, or ovate-oblong, 5-12 × 3-4.5 cm, base cuneate or attenuate, margin sparsely serrate, apex acute or acuminate; lateral veins 6-8 pairs, obviously impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially, disappearing before reaching margin. Peduncle 1-2 cm, 1-3-flowered. Flowers 4-merous; sepals very small, semirotund; petals orbicular, greenish yellow. Capsule red when fresh, brown when dry, nearly globose, ca. 8 mm in diam., sparsely prickly, prickles 1-2 mm. Aril bright orange. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Sep-Nov.
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