Large, suckering, spiny shrub up to 3-(4) m high when mature and several m diam.; stems brownish olive, smooth, shining and glabrous when young, often forming dense thickets. Lvs distributed along length of first-year, non-flowering stems, and in fascicles on short shoots on older flowering stems; petiole 6-12 mm long, green or red-tinged, glabrous; blade obovate to elliptic, finely serrate to crenate, (30)-50-80-(100) × 20-50 mm, acute and often curled at tip, attenuate to petiole at base, glabrous, ± shining and deep green on upper surface, paler below; lvs of short shoots on flowering stems similar but smaller; stipules prominent, reniform, up to 12 × 20 mm, crenate. Fls in fascicles of (3)-4-5, 25-35 mm diam., ± sessile. Sepals fused at base; lobes broadly ovate to oblong, 3-5 mm long, green, glabrous, with hyaline ciliate margins. Petals 5, ± overlapping, suberect or spreading, broad-ovate to orbicular, 12-20 mm diam., shortly clawed; limb white to bright pink to scarlet. Stamens < petals; filaments coloured as in petals. Fr. up to 60 mm diam., ± broadly ovoid to subglobose but often misshapen, yellowish and often brown-speckled, indented at base and apex.