Shrubs, 0.5-2(-4) m tall. Leaves abaxially yellowish green, adaxially dark green, oblong-oblanceolate or oblong, 18-45 × 7-15 cm, with 5-9 pairs of obliquely ascending, mostly separate or sometimes contiguous leaflets; lowest pair of leaflets similar to and close to others, ca. 5 cm above base of petiole, abaxial venation open and raised, adaxial lateral veins inconspicuous; rachis 2-3 mm in diam.; internodes decreasing in length upward, 3-6 cm; leaflets linear or narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly ovate, lowest 2.5-6 × 0.4-1.2 cm, those above increasing in length from base to apex, becoming 4-12.5 × 0.5-4 cm, base cuneate, margin 3-9-spinose-serrate, apex acuminate; terminal leaflet scarcely larger, 8-10 × 1.2-4 cm, sessile or petiolule to ca. 3 cm. Inflorescence 4-10-fascicled racemes, 5-10 cm; bracts of inflorescence ovate to ovate-oblong, 1-1.5 cm × 6-10 mm. Pedicel 1.5-5 mm, slender; floral bracts ovate, 1.2-3 × 0.8-2 mm. Sepals yellow; outer sepals ovate to ovate-oblong, 2-4.5 × 1-2 mm; median sepals elliptic, 3-4.5 × 1.6-2.8 mm; inner sepals elliptic, 3-5 × 1.8-3 mm. Petals elliptic or oblong, 3-4.3 × 1-2 mm, glands at base distinct or sometimes indistinct, apex slightly emarginate, lobes obtuse or rounded. Stamens 2-2.6 mm; anther connective not prolonged, truncate. Ovary 2-2.5 mm; ovules 2; stigma ca. 0.5 mm. Berry blue or reddish purple, pruinose, obovoid or oblong, 4-5 × 2-4 mm; style persistent. Fl. Jul-Nov, fr. Nov-May of following year.

● Forests, forest margins, streamsides, thickets, weedy slopes, open rocky ground; 200-2000 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan.