Tree or shrub 3-8 m tall, deciduous, unarmed. Perulate winter buds often in fascicles of 2 or 3, bud scales usually pubescent. Young branchlets glabrous, shiny, green or reddish. Leaf blade oblanceolate, narrowly obovate or elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-15 x 1-4 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margin crenate to serrate with glandular teeth towards the base, adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous or sparsely hairy along midrib or in vein axils. Petiole 1-2 cm usually with several glands towards the apex, glabrous. Stipules narrowly triangular, 5-8 mm, glabrous, margin fimbriate sometimes with glandular teeth, caducous. Flowers solitary or occasionally in pairs, 2-4(-5) cm in diameter, appearing before the leaves, subsessile. Pedicels glabrous, 1-4 mm in fruit. Hypanthium campanulate, 3-5 mm long, red-tinged, glabrous to pubescent, base usually concealed within the bud scales. Sepals ovate to obovate, apex obtuse, outside subglabrous or pubescent especially towards the margin. Petals pink or occasionally white, obovate, 10-20 x 7-17 mm, apex rounded or slightly emarginate. Stamens 20-30, 10-15(-20) mm long, filaments white to pink, glabrous; anthers purplish red. Ovary pubescent, sometimes glabrous (in nectarines). Style 8-13 mm long, pubescent towards the base. Drupe white to yellow-orange usually red tinged, fragrant, subglobose to ovoid or ellipsoid or sometimes compressed globose, (3–)5–7(–12) in diameter with a lateral furrow, softly pubescent or sometimes glabrous (in nectarines); mesocarp fleshy and juicy, clinging to endocarp or free, white, yellow, orange or red, sometimes reddish around the endocarp; endocarp ovoid to ellipsoid, compressed, 2-4 cm long, deeply pitted and furrowed with ribs on one side.