Shrubs 1–2 m tall. Branches spreading, with many short branchlets; branchlets brownish to dark grayish brown, pubescent initially, glabrescent. Winter buds often 3, collateral in leaf axil on short branchlets, lateral ones flower buds, central one a leaf bud; stipules linear, narrow, 2–4 mm. Leaves on short branchlets densely fascicled, those on annual branchlets alternate; petiole 2–5(–10) mm, pubescent; leaf blade elliptic, suborbicular, or obovate, 1–4 × 0.7–2 cm, both surfaces pilose, abaxially greenish, adaxially dark green, base broadly cuneate, margin irregularly coarsely serrate, apex acute to ± obtuse; secondary veins 4–6 on either side of midvein. Flowers solitary, opening slightly before leaves, 1–1.5 cm in diameter; pedicel 4–8 mm, not much elongated in fruit, pubescent; hypanthium broadly campanulate, 4–6 mm, outside glabrous or puberulous; sepals triangular-ovate, 2–3 mm, outside glabrous or puberulous, margin sometimes shallowly serrate, apex ± obtuse; petals pink, suborbicular, 7–10 mm in diam., apex occasionally emarginate; stamens many, unequal in length; ovary densely pubescent. Style nearly as long as shorter stamens. Drupe dark purplish red, subglobose to ovoid-globose, 1–1.5 cm in diam., densely pubescent, apex mucronulate; mesocarp thin and dry, separating from endocarp and splitting at maturity; endocarp brownish, broadly ovoid, slightly compressed laterally, 0.8–1.2 cm in diam., surface smooth, scabrous, or slightly rugose, base orbicular, apex mucronulate. Seed brownish yellow, broadly ovoid.

Diuretic and laxative (seeds)

Flora of China

A decoction of seeds is useful for constipation due to lack of fluids and to dryness in the intestines and edema of the legs with oliguria.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 524, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.