A deciduous shrub up to 8 or 10 ft high; young shoots, under-surface of the leaves and flower-stalks clothed with down. Leaves oval-lanceolate, pointed„ rounded or broadly wedge-shaped at the base; 2 to 4 in. long, 3⁄4 to 11⁄2 in. wide; strongly veined beneath. Flowers pinkish, borne in June in many-flowered clusters, small and of little beauty. Fruit jet-black, obovoid or nearly globose, 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 in. wide, containing four or five nutlets.
Native of W. Szechwan, China; introduced to this country from France in 1907. There has been much confusion in gardens between it and C. bullatus, but the latter is a much handsomer shrub with abundant clusters of brilliant red fruits. C. moupinensis is really nearer to the black-fruited C. foveolatus. Differences between them are pointed out under C. foveolatus (q.v.), but it may be added here that the leaves of foveolatus are much less prominently veined. In its bullate leaves C. moupinensis closely resembles C. bullatus. It makes a fine spreading bush 12 ft or more through at Kew, and is excellent for woodland.