Shrubs dioecious, 1-3 m tall. Branchlets pubescent, rarely subglabrous, unarmed. Buds brown to reddish brown, ovoid, 3-5 mm, glabrous or puberulent, apex obtuse to acute. Petiole 1-2 cm, sparsely stalked glandular; leaf blade ovate to suborbicular, 2-4 cm, abaxially glabrous or glandular hairy along veins and at margin, adaxially sparsely stalked glandular, base truncate, rarely shallowly cordate; lobes 3-5, ovate to narrowly triangular-ovate, margin irregularly coarsely obtusely dentate, apex acute to shortly acuminate, rarely obtuse; terminal lobe much longer than lateral ones. Male racemes erect, 1.5-2.5 cm, up to 10-flowered, female ones shorter, 1-1.5 cm, 2-7-flowered; rachis and pedicels pubescent and glandular hairy; bracts elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2-5 mm, margin shortly glandular hairy. Pedicel 1-2 mm. Calyx green, sometimes slightly tinged reddish brown, pubescent, rarely subglabrous; tube cupular, 1.5-2 mm; lobes reflexed, suboblong, rarely broadly ovate, 2-2.5 mm, 3-veined. Petals flabellate to suborbicular, ca. 1.5 mm. Stamens not equaling or subequaling petals. Ovary ovoid, glabrous or pubescent and shortly stalked glandular. Style deeply divided. Fruit black, ovoid to globose, 0.4-0.6 cm in diam., glabrous or pubescent and sparsely stalked glandular. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Sep.

* Coniferous and mixed forests on mountain slopes, thickets in mountain valleys; 1600-4000 m. Hebei, W Sichuan, NW Yunnan.