PLANT: Diffusely branched, 1-3.5 m tall, 1-3.5 m wide. STEMS: many, bark gray-brown; primary lateral branches spreading to ascending; secondary lateral branches suppressed. LEAVES: oblanceolate to elliptic to obovate or occasionally spathulate, 3-8(-9) mm long, 1-2.5(-3.5) mm wide, acute to occasionally obtuse, with base acute to somewhat attenuate, dull green to gray, slightly but distinctly wrinkled above, dull green beneath, sparsely to densely hispidulous; veins thick, somewhat raised and prominent, occupying much of the underside of young leaves. INFLORESCENCE: borne on suppressed secondary shoots, usually 1-2 flowers reaching maturity per fascicle. FLOWERS: with pedicels (0.5-)1-2.5(-3) mm; sepals predominantly persistent. FRUIT: mildly or not bitter, with the stone slightly elongate, 2-4.5 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, black to light brown. NOTES: 2 subspp; AZ, NM, TX, 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.