Pygeum phaeosticta Hance, J. Bot. 8: 72. 1870; Laurocerasus phaeosticta f. ciliospinosa Chun ex T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu; L. phaeosticta f. dentigera (Rehder) T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu; L. phaeosticta f. lasioclada (Rehder) T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu; L. phaeosticta f. puberula T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu; L. phaeosticta f. pubipedunculata T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu; Prunus phaeosticta (Hance) Maximowicz; P. phaeosticta (Hance) Maximowicz f. dentigera Rehder; P. phaeosticta f. lasioclada Rehder; P. punctata J. D. Hooker & Thomson; P. xerocarpa Hemsley.

Shrubs or trees, 4–12 m tall. Branchlets dark purplish brown, ± pubescent when young, glabrous and purplish black with age, with sparse orbicular lenticels. Winter buds purplish brown, ovoid, 2–4 mm, glabrous, apex acute to obtuse. Petiole 4–8 mm, glabrous, without nectaries; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or rarely obovate-oblong, 6–12 × 2–4 cm, herbaceous to subleathery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially scattered black punctate, base cuneate and with 2 large flat nectaries near margin, margin entire or on sterile branchlets acutely serrate, apex long caudate; secondary veins 6–10 on either side of midvein; tertiary veins abaxially somewhat elevated, adaxially slightly prominent. Racemes in axils of normal leaves on basal part of lateral branchlets or in axils of cataphylls on apical part of branchlets, solitary, 4–6 cm, several to 10-flowered or more; cataphylls small, soon caducous, apex tridentate; rachis often glabrous; bracts linear to lanceolate, 2–4 mm, soon caducous, glabrous, margin glandular serrate. Flowers 4–6 mm in diam. Pedicel 3–6 mm often glabrous. Hypanthium cup-shaped, 1.5–2.5 mm, outside glabrous. Sepals ovate-triangular, 1–2 mm, outside glabrous, margin ciliate or minutely serrate, apex obtuse. Petals white, suborbicular, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous. Stamens 20–35, 5–6 mm. Ovary glabrous. Style 5–6 mm. Drupe purplish black, subglobose to transversely ellipsoid, 8–10 mm in diam., glabrous; endocarp thin, smooth. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Jul–Oct.

Mixed forests, mountain valleys, mountain meadows, stream sides, along trails; 300--2500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bangladesh, India, N Myanmar, N Thailand, N Vietnam].