Microrhamnus franguloides Maximowicz, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Pétersbourg, Sér. 7, 10(11): 4. 1866; Berchemia congesta S. Moore; M. taquetii H. Léveillé; Rhamnella japonica Miquel; R. obovalis C. K. Schneider.

Shrubs or small trees, deciduous, 2-9 m tall. Young branches greenish, pilose or densely pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, 3-4 mm, persistent; petiole 2-6 mm, densely pubescent; leaf blade abaxially yellow-green, adaxially green, obovate-oblong, obovate-elliptic, oblong, or narrowly elliptic, rarely obovate, 4-12 × 2-5 cm, abaxially pubescent at least on veins, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 5-11(-13) pairs, base rounded, rarely cuneate, slightly oblique, margin serrulate, apex caudate-acuminate, acuminate, or shortly acuminate. Flowers yellow-green, bisexual, 6-18 in axillary cymes; peduncles 1-4 mm, pilose or glabrous. Sepals triangular-ovate, sparsely pilose at margin. Petals broadly obovate, apex emarginate. Pedicel 1.5-4 mm, sparsely pilose or glabrous. Drupe red or orange at maturity, turning black or purple-black when dry, cylindric, 7-9 mm, 3-4.5 mm in diam.; fruiting pedicel 3-5 mm, pilose or glabrous. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Oct. 2n = 24*.

● Forests, slopes, roadsides; below 1100 m. Anhui, Hebei, Henan, W Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, S Shanxi, Shandong, Zhejiang.