Shrubs, semi-evergreen, 1.5-2(-4.5) m tall. Branches grayish brown, sulcate, sparsely verruculose; spines simple, occasionally 3-fid, 1-3 cm. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially shiny, dark green, oblong-obovate or obovate, 0.8-4.5 × 0.5-1.7 cm, leathery, abaxially not pruinose, midvein raised, adaxially with flat or impressed midvein, both surfaces with obviously raised close reticulate veins, base cuneate, margin 3-10-spinose-serrate on each side, sometimes entire, apex rounded. Inflorescence a panicle, broad and much branched, 30-100-flowered, 5-15 cm including peduncle 0.3-2 cm, glabrous; bracts 1.5-2.5 mm. Pedicels 2-4 mm, glabrous; bractlets triangular, 1-1.5 mm. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals ovate, ca. 3.5 × 2 mm, apex acute; inner sepals obovate, 4.5-6.5 × 2.5-3 mm. Petals obovate, 3.5-4 × ca. 2 mm, base clawed, with separate oblong glands, apex incised, lobes acute. Stamens ca. 3 mm; anther connective prolonged, obtuse. Ovules 2, subsessile. Berry dark red or dark reddish brown, narrowly ovoid, 7-8 × 3-4 mm, pruinose, style conspicuous, to 1.5 mm; seeds purple. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Aug-Oct.

● Sunny slopes, thickets, forests, forest margins, roadsides, grassy slopes; 2000-3600 m. Sichuan, Xizang.