Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum Edgew.

Shrubs or small trees. Branchlets and leaf rachises with prickles. Leaf rachises adaxially and midvein of leaflet blades adaxially pubescent. Old leaves subglabrous. Leaves 11-19-foliolate; petiolules to 2 mm; leaflet blades alternate or opposite, lanceolate or rarely ovate, 5-12 × 1.5-2.5 cm, abaxially gray when dry, oil glands numerous, midvein impressed adaxially, secondary veins anastomosing near margin, reticulate veinlets ridged when dry, base cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, cymose-corymbose, to 30-flowered. Perianth in 2 series. Sepals 4, purplish green. Petals ca. 3 mm. Male flowers: rudimentary gynoecium 2-4-parted, lobes linear. Fruit pedicel 1-1.5 cm, 1-1.5 mm in diam.; follicles purplish red, 6-7 mm, oil glands impressed when dry, apex beaked. Seeds ca. 5 mm in diam. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 72.

A subtropical plant. In Nepal plants grow between 2100-2800 m altitude. They grow in open, rocky slopes. In Yunnan.

The fruit are pickled and are also used as spice. They are included in curry. The tender shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Plants are grown from seed or branch cuttings.