PLANT: Diffusely branched, 1-4 m tall, 1-4 m wide. STEMS many; bark gray-brown; primary lateral branches spreading to ascending; secondary lateral branches suppressed. LEAVES: spatulate or young leaves occasionally elliptic, (3-)5-13(-17) mm long, (1-)2-4(-5) mm wide, obtuse to mucronate or occasionally acute, with base cuneate to distinctly attenuate, dull green, smooth above, occasionally yellowish or orangish beneath, sparsely to densely hispidulous, veins thick and prominent, becoming thinner and flattened with age. INFLORESCENCE: borne on suppressed secondary shoots, usually several flowers reaching maturity per fascicle. FLOWERS: with pedicels (2.5-)3-4.5(-5.5) mm; sepals predominantly deciduous. FRUIT: bitter; with the stone globose or occasionally slightly longer than wide, 2-4.5 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, black to brown. NOTES: 2 subspp; AZ, NM, CA, 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.