Cotoneaster microphyllus var. conspicuus Messel; C. conspicuus var. decora Russel; C. conspicuus var. nanus G. Klotz; C. nanus (G. Klotz) G. Klotz; C. permutatus Klotz; C. pluriflorus G. Klotz.

Shrubs, evergreen, suberect, to 1.2 m tall or more, densely branched. Branchlets ascending, straight or subarcuate, to 45 cm, spreading, initially strigose-villous, gradually glabrescent. Petiole 1.5–2.5 mm; stipules subulate, villous, nearly as long as petioles; leaf blade elliptic to oblanceolate, rarely oblong, 6–16 (–20) × 2.5–6.5(–10) mm, midvein raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, veins inconspicuous, abaxially appressed villous, adaxially glabrous or sparsely villous, base cuneate, margin revolute, apex obtuse or rounded and callous-mucronate. Inflorescences often solitary flowers, rarely few flowered. Pedicel 1.5–2 mm, sparsely villous. Flowers 8–10 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially sparsely villous. Sepals broadly triangular, ca. 1.5 mm and nearly as broad. Petals spreading, white, tipped with pink in bud, suborbicular, 3–4 × 4–5 mm. Filaments yellow, subequal; anthers purple, subglobose. Ovary glabrous; styles 2, ca. 3 mm. Fruit bright scarlet, globose or obovoid, glabrous, 8–10 mm in diam., pyrenes 2; sepals persistent at fruiting, suberect. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep.

Comber (Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 99: 388. 1936) previously described this species (but without a Latin description or diagnosis) from plants grown from seeds collected by F. Kingdon Ward in Xizang in 1924.

Open sunny situations among rocks, river valleys; 2400--3300 m. Sichuan, S Xizang, Yunnan.