Shrubs, deciduous, to 1 m tall. Branches and shoots pale purplish red, sometimes slightly grayish white, terete; spines 3-fid, pale yellow, 0.8-2.5 cm, stout, adaxially sulcate. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade abaxially gray-green, adaxially dark green, linear-oblanceolate, 0.8-2.2 cm × 1-4 mm, abaxially not pruinose, midvein slightly raised, lateral and reticulate veins inconspicuous, adaxially inconspicuously veined, base attenuate, margin 1-3-spinose-serrate on each side, occasionally entire, apex aristate. Flowers 3-5-fascicled, sometimes forming a subracemose inflorescence. Pedicels 2-5 mm. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals lanceolate, 4-4.5 × 0.8-1 mm; inner sepals obovate-oblong, 6-6.5 × 3-3.5 mm. Petals oblanceolate, 5-5.1 × 2-2.2 mm, base clawed, with very separate glands, apex incised with acute lobes. Stamens 3-3.5 mm; anther connective not prolonged, shortly apiculate. Ovary 3-3.2 mm; ovules 3-5. Berry black or red, globose, 3-3.5 × ca. 3 mm, not pruinose, style ca. 0.8 mm; seeds 5. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 28.

Slopes, floodlands, mixed forests, streamsides; 2500-3700 m. Xinjiang, W Xizang [Kashmir].