Rubus howii Merr. & Chun

Shrubs scandent. Branchlets brown or reddish brown, terete, densely yellowish brown villous, with curved minute prickles. Leaves simple; petiole 1–2 cm, densely yellowish brown villous, with few small prickles; stipules caducous, free, 6–9 mm, deeply lobed, lobes linear, yellowish brown villous; blade oblong to ovate-oblong, 7–14 × 2–5 cm, lateral veins 6–8 pairs, prominent abaxially, impressed adaxially, both surfaces yellowish brown villous along veins, abaxially with sparse, minute prickles along midvein, base cordate, margin irregularly coarsely serrate, with 1 or 2 broadly ovate shallow lobes on each side below middle; lobes unequal, longer ones to 1.5 cm, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, subracemes, 5–8 cm, 1- or few flowered, or flowers several in clusters in leaf axils; rachis, pedicels, and abaxial surface of calyx densely yellowish brown villous, with sparse, needle-like prickles; bracts caducous, 5–8 mm; lobes linear, yellowish brown villous. Pedicel ca. 1 cm. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam. Sepals ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 6–8 mm, margin entire, apex acuminate, outer sepals gray tomentose marginally. Petals yellowish brown, elliptic, 5–7 × 4–5 mm, base shortly clawed, apex obtuse. Stamens many, shorter than petals; filaments glabrous. Pistils glabrous, longer than stamens. Fruit not seen. Fl. Apr–May.

Mixed forests. Medium elevations. Hainan.