Shrubs 1-2 m tall, spinescent. Annual branches puberulent or subglabrous; branchlets usually alternate, rarely opposite or subopposite, gray-brown, terminating in an obtuse spine; axillary buds small. Leaves alternate, rarely subopposite; stipules subulate, ca. 1/2 as long as petiole, caducous; petiole 3-6 mm, puberulent or subglabrous; leaf blade abaxially pale green, turning yellow when dry, adaxially green, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, rarely lanceolate-elliptic, 3-6.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, papery or thickly papery, abaxially pilose on veins or in vein axils, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 3-5 pairs, slightly prominent abaxially, ± impressed adaxially, inconspicuously reticulate, base cuneate, margin ± revolute when dry, serrulate, apex acuminate. Flowers not seen. Drupe solitary or 2-4-fascicled in leaf axils at base of branchlets, black, obovoid-globose, ca. 5 mm in diam., with 2 stones, with persistent calyx tube at base; fruiting pedicel 6-8 mm. Seeds brown, oblong-obovoid, abaxially with margined short furrow for 1/4-1/3 of length. Fl. unknown, fr. Jul-Oct.
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