Shrubs or trees, 1-3 m tall, all parts glabrous. Stems and branches with brownish red prickles. Leaves 7-17-foliolate; rachis marginate; leaflet blades sessile, orbicular, broadly elliptic, or obovate-rhombic, 3-25 × 3-8 mm, thickly leathery, pale brown to blackish brown when dry, midvein impressed, secondary veins inconspicuous, base symmetric or slightly oblique, margin apically crenate. Inflorescences terminal. Perianth in 2 irregular series or 1 series, with 6-8 ± undifferentiated tepals. Tepals broadly deltoid, ca. 1.5 mm or longer. Male flowers: pedicel 5-8 mm; stamens 5 or 6; connective blackish brown when dry, with oil gland on tip; rudimentary gynoecium projecting outward and cushion-shaped. Female flowers: carpels 2 or 3(or 4); styles recurved. Fruit follicles purplish red, 4-5 mm in diam., with a few protruding oil glands. Seeds 3-4 mm in diam. Fl. May, fr. Jun-Jul.

● 1700-2500 m. S Gansu, W Henan, S Shaanxi, Sichuan.