A suberect shrub with red, glabrous turions and tomentose flowering branches; stipitate glands abundant.. Prickles variable in number, red, decurved, up to 3 mm. long, basally dilated and there usually tomentose, otherwise glabrous.. Leaves trifoliolate (or simple within the inflorescence), ± coriaceous, dark green above and whitish or whitish-green beneath; leaflets elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 4.5–8 × 2.5–4.5 cm., the terminal one broadly ovate-elliptic and distinctly larger than the narrower more elliptic laterals, all varying from obtuse to very acute, and from cuneate to rounded basally, but the lateral leaflets often broadest at the centre and narrowing equally to each end, all very shortly puberulous above, thickly and softly whitish-tomentose beneath with prominent midrib and primary veins, and the midrib sometimes aculeolate; margin serrate or biserrate, often ± unevenly so, the serratures up to 2 mm. deep; terminal petiolule up to 2.3 cm. long, those of the lateral leaflets ± 3 mm. long.. Inflorescence shortly cylindrical or ± corymbose, the axis sometimes covered with ochreous shaggy hairs, leafless or the rather large flowers borne singly or in pairs in the axils of (often simple) leaves; pedicels 1–2 cm. long, tomentose, prickly, with or without stipitate glands.. Calyx tomentose, 9–15 mm. long, deeply divided into lanceolate to ovate or ± triangular lobes 6–12 mm. long with membranous, caudate tips, with or without stipitate glands.. Petals pink or white, showy, ± round or broader than long, but abruptly narrowed to the base, exceeding the calyx, 1.2–1.6 cm. long.. Carpels varying from densely hairy to glabrous.
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