A sturdy, evergreen bush 4 to 6 ft high, very distinct on account of its branches being covered with dense, dark brown, tiny excrescences, which give the young bark a curiously rough surface. Stem-spines very slender, three-parted, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. long. Leaves dark lustrous green above, glaucous beneath; oval, tapering towards both ends; 1⁄2 to 11⁄2 in. long, of leathery texture, margins recurved and set with a few spiny teeth. They are densely arranged in clusters or rosettes along the twigs. Flowers short-stalked, solitary or in small fascicles, golden yellow, 5⁄8 to 3⁄4 in. across. Berries black covered with blue bloom, nearly 1⁄2 in. long, rather bottle-shaped. Bot. Mag., t. 8454.
Discovered by Wilson in W. China and introduced by him in 1904. It makes a neat and compact evergreen, growing to about 6 ft high, and was given the Award of Garden Merit in 1929. It is closely related to B. candidula (q.v.).