Shrubs 1–3 m tall, with arching branches. Branchlets with sparse, curved minute prickles, densely villous, with intermixed glandular hairs of unequal length. Leaves imparipinnate, 5–7-foliolate, rarely 3-foliate at base of inflorescence; petiole 3.5–6 cm, petiolule of terminal leaflet 1–2 cm, lateral leaflets shortly petiolulate or subsessile, petiolule and rachis pubescent, with intermixed unequal glandular hairs, with sparse, minute prickles; stipules brownish, linear, pubescent, with intermixed glandular hairs; blade of leaflets ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–5 × 1.5–3 cm, abaxially densely gray tomentose, with purple stalked glands along veins, adaxially pilose, base broadly cuneate or subrounded, sometimes shallowly cordate on terminal leaflet, margin irregularly coarsely serrate, often lobed on terminal leaflet, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, large broad cymose panicles, numerous flowered; rachis and pedicels with dense, unequal stalked glands and soft hairs; bracts brownish, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, not or 2- or 3-laciniate at apex. Pedicel 5–10 mm. Flowers not more than 1 cm in diam. Calyx abaxially with dense soft hairs and glandular hairs; sepals erect at anthesis, sometimes reflexed in fruit, ovate-lanceolate, 6–10 mm, apex long acuminate. Petals pink-white to purple, suborbicular, base broadly clawed and soft hairy. Stamens many, in 1 whorl; filaments linear. Ovary hairy; style glabrous. Aggregate fruit red, subglobose, 7–10 mm in diam., glabrous or subglabrous; pyrenes reticulate-rugose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug.

Sparse forests on mountain slopes, rock crevices along river banks and sides of ravines; 800--1100 m. Chongqing (Fengjie Xian), S Shaanxi (Pingli Xian).