Shrub, evergreen, hermaphrodite, spinescent, up to 2(3) m in height, although stems can be longer than 5 m. Stems can be \u00b1 climbing or creeping. In the latter case, when they touch the ground they can root in autumn and give rise to new plants, thus forming impenetrable prickly thickets over the years. Turion stems or branches usually very long, canaliculate, with strong hooked prickles (all equal or subequal), glabrous or slightly hairy, glaucous, green or red. Leaves alternate, compound, with 3-5 leaflets (3-12 cm long; the terminal leaflet is usually the largest), ovate, obovate or elliptic, acute or obtuse, acuminate, with cuneiform or rounded, serrated margin, glabrous, intense green on the upper side, whitish-tomentose on the underside. Rachis and petiole well developed, with some prickles, greenish or reddish. Inflorescence in a terminal raceme, long and narrow consisting of small panicles. Flower 2-3 cm in diameter. Calyx with 5 sepals, about 5 mm long, oval-acuminate, whitish-tomentose. Corolla with 5 petals, about 8-10 mm, suborbicular, slightly dentate at the apex, white-pinkish to purplish. Stamens and carpels very numerous. Fruit subglobulose (1.2 cm), composed of tiny spherical drupes, monospermous, densely grouped, first greenish-yellow, then red and finally black.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12753","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n