A very variable, scrambling shrub up to 3 m. tall. Flowering stems greenish-white, usually densely tomentose, sometimes villous or in part so; prickles variable in number, straight to hooked, 1.75–5 mm. long, basally dilated and tomentose. Leaves commonly trifoliolate, sometimes imparipinnate (2-jugate, the turion leaves apparently frequently so); leaflets ovate, ovate-elliptic or obovate but very variable, obtuse or acute or abruptly acuminate, basally rounded to subcordate; the terminal leaflet usually largest, 3.7–7.5 × 2.7–5.2 cm., or subequal in size to the basal pair in imparipinnate leaves; all serrate or biserrate, with shallow (sometimes coarse) but usually sharp teeth, rather thinly hairy to glabrous, sometimes very dark green above, whitish-tomentose beneath (varying rarely to green and subglabrous); terminal petiolules 0.8–2.5 cm. long, those of lateral leaflets 3–4 mm. long. Inflorescence usually a leafless, rather closely compacted, cyclindrical panicle, the basal branchlets ascending; axis, branchlets and pedicels whitish-green-tomentose or becoming villous, sometimes fulvous; pedicels 3–9 mm. long. Flower-buds broadly ovate, cuspidate, 4.5 × 4 mm. Calyx 6–7 mm. long, deeply divided into ovate-lanceolate (sometimes narrowly) or ovate-acuminate, mucronate lobes 5–6 mm. long, greenish-white-tomentose, clasping with maturity. Petals pink to mauve, obovate or obovate-elliptic, 6–9 × 4–6 mm., rounded, apparently caducous. Carpels glabrous, or pubescent particularly at the apex and along the outer side. Fruit edible, ± acid. Fig. 3/4, p. 31.
