Prunus fordiana Dunn, J. Bot. 45: 402. 1907; P. balansae Koehne; P. fordiana Dunn var. balansae (Koehne) J. E. Vidal; P. multipunctata Cardot; P. phaeosticta (Hance) Maximowicz var. ancylocarpa J. E. Vidal; P. phaeosticta var. dimorphophylla J. E. Vidal; P. phaeosticta var. promeccocarpa Cardot.

Shrubs or trees, 5–15 m tall. Branchlets purplish red but purplish black with age, puberulous when young, glabrescent, with prominent suborbicular to rarely shortly ellipsoid lenticels. Winter buds brown, ovoid, 2–5 mm, apex acute; scale margins ciliate. Petiole 2–8 mm, glabrous, without nectaries; leaf blade elliptic to oblong, 5–12 × 2–4 cm, thickly leathery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially scattered purplish black minutely punctate and with or sometimes without 2–4 larger flat nectaries near basal margin, adaxially lustrous, base cuneate, margin entire or rarely with a few teeth, apex acute to shortly acuminate; secondary veins 7–11 on either side of midvein; tertiary veins very indistinct on both surfaces or abaxially nearly invisible. Racemes in leaf axils, solitary, 3–9 cm, more than 10-flowered; rachis glabrous; bracts 2–4 mm, soon caducous, margin ciliate, basal ones sterile, hard and dark, and longer persistent. Flower 5–6 mm in diam. Pedicel 3–8 mm, glabrous. Hypanthium campanulate, 1–2 mm, outside glabrous. Sepals ovate-triangular, 1–2 mm, outside glabrous, apex obtuse to acute. Petals white, suborbicular, glabrous. Stamens 25–40, 3–4 mm. Ovary glabrous. Style to 4 mm, glabrous. Drupe blackish brown, elongately ovoid-globose to ellipsoid, 9–14 × 6–8 mm, glabrous; endocarp thin, slightly reticulately rugose. Fl. Mar–Apr, fr. May–Aug.

Forests, slopes, foothills, river banks; 600--1800 m. Guangdong, Guangxi [Cambodia, Vietnam].