Shrubs or small trees, to 6 m; branches dense, spreading at right angles, usually armed with stout, recurved spines 7-14 mm. Stems arching, velvety when young, glabrate later. Leaf blades broadly obovate or suborbiculate, 2-6 × 2-6 cm, base rounded or broadly cuneate, apex rounded, rarely subacute. Inflorescences: [staminate inflorescences subglobose, dense, 1-2 cm diam.]; pistillate inflorescences densely subglobose at anthesis, more open in age; branches divaricate or ascending; fruiting pedicel 0.5-2 cm. Perianths: [perianth of staminate flowers deep red, broadly campanulate, 2-3 mm, densely and shortly viscid-villous]; perianth of pistillate flowers greenish, often blushed with red, 2-2.5 mm, densely puberulent. Fruits clavate, 7-10 × 3-4 mm, densely puberulent between glandular ribs, glands extending entire length of fruits.
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