Shrub, deciduous (although in humid deeper soils it is almost a small tree) hermaphrodite, \u00b1 thorny, up to 2(6) m in height. When growing in rocky areas or when heavily grazed by livestock, it can become a very thorny and intricate subshrub. Main stem with greyish-brown bark, fissured longitudinally in older specimens. Branches dark-brown, ending into a rigid thorn. Younger parts of the branches are somewhat pubescent. Leaves [(1)2-4(5) \u00d7 0.5-2.5(3) cm] alternate, obovate or obovate-oblong, obtuse or rounded, sometimes acute and acuminate at the tip and \u00b1 cuneiform at the base, crenate or finely serrated margin, glabrous or glabrescent; and intense light green and hairy (at least on the veins) on the upper side and somewhat duller on the underside \u2014hairy on both sides when young, but it can be sometimes completely glabrous when adult\u2014. Petiole pubescent 2-11 mm long; stipules promptly caducous. Flowers solitary or in fascicles with few flowers (2-3 flowers). Flower 1-2 cm in diameter on glabrous pedicel, very short (0.5-1 cm). Calyx with 5 sepals, 2-3 mm, oval-triangular, green. Corolla with 5 petals, oval or oval-oblong, obtuse, 4-10 mm long, white. Stamens numerous (15-25) with white filaments and yellow or reddish anthers. Fruit a globose drupe, about 10-15 mm, upright, not pendant, glabrous, bright blackish, covered with of a bluish-white powder. Seed rounded, slightly compressed, smooth or somewhat rugose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12831","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n