Rosette leaves narrowly spatulate, 15-30 × 4-7 mm, apex narrowly acuminate, apical spine not cartilaginous. Stem leaves red dotted, linear to linear-lanceolate, 2-6 × 0.3-0.7 cm, apex narrowly acuminate and prickles absent. Inflorescence racemose, dense, 8-20 × 2-5 cm in diam.; bracts resembling stem leaves but smaller. Flowers pedicellate. Sepals ovate, ca. 2 × 1 mm, apex obtuse. Petals white, minutely punctate, lanceolate, ca. 6 × 1.8 mm, apex reddish and rounded. Stamens shorter than petals. Nectar scales subquadrangular, ca. 0.3 mm, apex emarginate. Carpels erect, lanceolate, ca. 6 mm, abruptly tapered toward base. Styles slender, ca. 2 mm. Seeds brown, ca. 1 mm. Fl. Sep-Oct.

The present authors have followed V. V. Byalt (pers. comm.) who believes that the species identified in FRPS as Orostachys erubescens is in fact O. japonica, whereas true O. erubescens is a synonym of O. spinosa.

Rocks on low mountains, along streams. Anhui, E Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea, Russia].