Prunus mugus Handel-Mazzetti, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 60: 152. 1923.

Shrubs to 1 m tall, prostrate. Bark grayish brown. Branchlets brown to grayish brown; young branchlets densely appressed villous. Winter buds ovoid-ellipsoid, glabrous, apex acuminate. Stipules linear, 5–8 mm, margin gland-tipped fimbriate. Petiole 2–7 mm, glabrous; leaf blade obovate to obovate-elliptic, 1–3.5 × 0.7–2 cm, abaxially pale green and glabrous, adaxially dark green and glabrous or pilose when young, base cuneate, margin acutely biserrate, apex obtuse to acute; secondary veins 5–9 on either side of midvein. Inflorescences 1-flowered or 2-flowered in a fascicle; involucral bracts obovate-oblong, 5–8 × 2–3 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially pilose, margin glandular hairy; peduncle absent. Flowers usually opening at same time as leaves. Pedicel 0.3–3 cm, glabrous. Hypanthium tubular, 6–8 × 2–3 mm. Sepals triangularly long ovate, 2–3 mm, margin glandular serrate, apex acuminate to acute. Petals white or pink, suborbicular, apex erose. Stamens 30–45. Style exserted after anthesis, much longer than stamens, glabrous. Drupe dark red, ca. 1 × 0.8 cm; endocarp markedly sculptured. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jul–Aug.

Forest margins on mountain slopes, thickets; 3200--3700 m. NW Yunnan.