Japan Flora: Small tree or rarely large shrub with dark gray-purple glabrous branches; leaves obcordate-orbicular, 5-10 cm. long and as wide, glabrous or nearly so above, appressed- pilose on the nerves beneath while young, gray-glaucous be­neath, rounded and distinedy emarginate, irregularly toothed, broadly cuneate at base, the lateral nerves of 6 to 9 pairs, the petioles glabrous, 1-3 cm. long, dark purple-brown when dried; staminate aments solitary or paired, terminal and on upper part of branches, the pistillate aments 2-5 in a group, the fruiting ones elliptic, 15-18 mm. long.  May-June.  High mountains

Honshu (centr. and n. distr.); rather com­mon.