Shrubs, deciduous, 70-80 cm tall. Branches purplish red, sulcate, not verruculose; spines 5-fid, pale brown, 1.3-2 cm, adaxially sulcate. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade abaxially pale yellow-green, adaxially dark green, oblong-obovate, 4-9 × 2-3 mm, papery, abaxially not pruinose, veins inconspicuous, adaxially glabrous, base attenuate, margin entire, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicels 3-5 mm, glabrous; bractlets lanceolate, ca. 3 × 1 mm. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals oblong, ca. 4 × 2 mm; inner sepals obovate, ca. 4.5 × 2.2 mm. Petals obovate, ca. 3.8 × 1.5 mm, base with separate glands, apex emarginate. Stamens ca. 2.1 mm; anther connective acute. Ovules 3. Berry red, globose, ca. 7 × 7 mm, not pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. May, fr. Jun-Aug.

● Beside springs on shaded slopes; 4000-4100 m. Xizang.