Shrubs scandent, rarely erect, dioecious, unarmed. Young branches with numerous tuberculate lenticels, sparsely puberulent when young; old branches glabrescent. Petiole 7-15 mm, puberulent; leaf blade shiny on both sides, green-yellow when dry, elliptic or oblong-ovate, 5-11 × 2.5-4.5 cm, papery, abaxially golden-yellow puberulent on veins, rarely subglabrous, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, distinctly prominent abaxially, slightly impressed or not adaxially, base rounded, margin serrulate or obtusely serrate, apex acuminate or acute. Flowers unisexual, 5-merous, solitary or 2-4 in axillary, cymose racemes; bracts very small, to 4 mm. Pedicels 2-3 mm, sparsely puberulent. Sepals caducous, oblong-lanceolate, adaxially with inconspicuous midvein, apex acute. Petals broadly elliptic, apex nearly truncate. Stamens equaling petals, slightly shorter than sepals. Ovary globose, 3-loculed; style (2 or)3-fid, ca. 1.5 × as long as ovary. Drupe deep red or purple-red at maturity, obovoid-globose or globose, 6-7 mm, 5-6 mm in diam., with persistent calyx tube at base, with 3 stones; fruiting pedicel 5-7 mm. Seeds abaxially with margined furrow for 1/2 of length. Fl. Aug-Nov, fr. Mar of following year.

This species is very similar to Rhamnus formosana, but the latter differs in having smaller drupes and fruit with persistent sepals.

The seeds are used for making oils, printing ink, and dyes.

● Dense forests in valleys; 600-900 m. Hainan.