PLANT: Openly branched, 1-2(-2.5) m tall, 1-1.5 m wide. STEMS: several, bark light gray to whitish; primary lateral branches spreading to divergent; secondary lateral branches conspicuous as thorns. LEAVES: obovate to oblanceolate, 8-16 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, acute to mucronate, bright green, slightly but distinctly wrinkled above, sparsely hispidulous, veins thin and inconspicuous; base acute. INFLORESCENCE: borne on suppressed secondary shoots, usually 1-2 flowers reaching maturity per fascicle. FLOWERS: sessile, or with pedicels less than 0.5 mm; sepals persistent. FRUIT: not distinctly bitter, with the stone distinctly longer than wide, 5-7 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, brown to tan. NOTES: Dry slopes, drainages, canyons: s Cochise, s Santa Cruz, and Pima cos. (Baboquivari Mountains and Chimena Canyon); 1200-1500 m (4000-5000 ft); flowering Jul-Sep; AZ, NM, n Mex. REFERENCES: Kyle Christie, Michael Currie, Laura Smith Davis, Mar-Elise Hill, Suzanne Neal, and Tina Ayers, 2006 Vascular Plants of Arizona: Rhamnaceae. CANOTIA 2(1): 23-46.