Shrubs, forming thickets. Stems erect, sometimes arching, 10–25 dm, densely branched; bark greenish white when young, purplish black with age, densely tomentose or puberulent; infrastipular prickles paired, erect, stout, subulate, 10 × 4 mm, base pubescent, internodal prickles similar, densely mixed with aciculi and stipitate glands. Leaves 7–11 cm; stipules 20–30 × 4–7 mm, auricles flared, 4–6 mm, margins entire or unevenly serrate, sessile-glandular, surfaces rugose, glabrous or pubescent, glandular; petiole and rachis with pricklets usually curved, subequal, pubescent, usually sparsely glandular; leaflets 5–9, terminal: petiolule 8–18 mm, blade widely elliptic to ovate, rarely obovate, 20–55 × 10–35 mm, leathery, rugose, base cuneate to obtuse, margins usually 1-crenate-serrate, eglandular, sometimes gland-tipped, teeth 11–17 per side, sometimes gland-tipped, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surfaces gray-green, deeply veined, pubescent, eglandular, adaxial dark green, lustrous, rugose, glabrous. Inflorescences corymbs, 1(–4)-flowered. Pedicels erect, sometimes reflexed (as hip matures), stout, 10–15(–30) mm, pubescent, sometimes setose, sparsely sessile- or stipitate-glandular; bracts 2, ovate-lanceolate, 12(–15) × 2(–5) mm, margins entire with few hairs, eglandular or gland-tipped, surfaces pubescent, glandular. Flowers 6–9 cm diam.; hypanthium depressed-globose, 6–8 × 5–6 mm, glabrous, sometimes setose overall or only in neck area, eglandular, rarely glandular, neck 1–2 × 4–5 mm; sepals erect, ovate-lanceolate, 20–37 × 4–6 mm, tip 4–5 × 1–2 mm, margins entire, rarely pinnatifid, tomentose, glandular, abaxial surfaces pubescent, sessile- and stipitate-glandular, often setose; petals single, sometimes double (cultivars), purplish pink or white, 35–50 × 30–45 mm; carpels 48–60, styles exsert 1–2 mm beyond stylar orifice of hypanthial disc (5–10 mm diam.). Hips scarlet, depressed-globose, 18–20 × 20–25 mm, leathery, glabrous, sometimes setose, eglandular, rarely glandular, neck 1–2 × 4–5 mm; sepals persistent, erect. Achenes basiparietal, 40, tan, 4–6 × 2–4.5 mm. 2n = 14.
