A deciduous shrub up to 8 ft high; young shoots glabrous. Leaves oval, slightly obovate, or oblong-lanceolate, pointed, wedge-shaped to rounded at the base, entire or wavy margined on flowering shoots, often (by no means always) deeply lobed on virgin shoots, 1 to 21⁄2 in. long, 5⁄8 to 1 in. wide, sometimes with scattered hairs on both surfaces, sometimes glabrous; stalk 1⁄8 to 1⁄3 in. long. Flowers 1⁄2 in. long, borne in a pair at the end of slender stalks 1 to 11⁄2 in. long; corolla dark purple, short-tubed; stamens downy at the base. Fruits red, each pair 3⁄4 in. wide. Flowers in May.
Native of Szechwan, China; originally discovered by Père Faurie in the environs of Tatsien-lu; introduced by Wilson in 1910. Like some forms of L.japonica and L. griffithii (both climbers and very different in other respects) this species is well marked by its frequently deeply lobed leaves. Combined with its large red fruits and purple flowers, this character makes it distinct.