Shrubs 1–2 m tall. Branchlets brownish to purplish brown, cylindric, soft hairy, gradually glabrescent, with sparse prickles. Leaves imparipinnate, usually 3-foliolate, those below inflorescence sometimes 3-lobed; petiole 5–8 cm, petiolule of terminal leaflet 1–2.5 cm, lateral leaflets shortly petiolulate or subsessile, pubescent when young, glabrescent, with sparse, minute prickles; stipules linear, 1–1.3 cm, pubescent; blade of leaflets broadly ovate, terminal leaflet sometimes ovate-lanceolate, 4–8 × 3–6 cm, abaxially densely gray tomentose, adaxially glabrous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin unevenly coarsely serrate or doubly serrate, apex shortly acuminate to caudate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, corymbose or short racemes, 5–10-flowered, sometimes axillary and 1–3-flowered; rachis and pedicels pubescent, with sparse, minute prickles; bracts linear, smaller than stipules. Pedicel 1–2 cm. Flowers 1.5–2 cm in diam. Calyx tube purple, abaxially pubescent, sometimes with sparse, minute prickles; sepals erect after anthesis, broadly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 0.8–1.4 cm, gray tomentose, apex abruptly pointed or acuminate. Petals purple, broadly obovate or elliptic, 5–8 mm, both surfaces soft hairy, base shortly clawed. Stamens many, shorter than petals; filaments linear. Pistils numerous, shorter than stamens; ovary and basal part of style gray tomentose. Aggregate fruit red, narrowly ovoid, 1–1.5 cm, ca. 1 cm in diam., gray tomentose; drupelets many; pyrenes reticulate. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

Mixed forests, broad-leaved evergreen forests, valleys, slopes on roadsides, thickets; 2600--3800 m. S Xizang, W Yunnan.