Japan Flora: Tree; branchlets densely villous while young, scarcely glandu- lar; leaves ovate or oblong-ovate, 3-6 cm. long, 1.5-3.2 cm. wide, short-acuminate, minutely and unequally duplicate- serrate, rounded to broadly cuneate at base, densely white- villous at least on the nerves beneath, lateral nerves of 14 to 18 pairs, the petioles 4-7 mm. long, white-villous; pistillate aments cylindric, short-peduncled, erect, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, 7-10 mm. wide, the scales 3.5-5 mm. long, deeply 3-lobed, pubes- cent and eglandular on back, the lateral lobes slightly shorter than the median; nuts ovate, 2-3 mm. long, scarcely winged. -Honshu (Chichibu).

 

Japan Red List (2000)

Deciduous small trees that grow on rocky walls and ridges in limestone areas. They grow up to 8-10 meters in height. The leaves are arranged alternately on long branches, with two leaves attached to each short branch. The leaf blade is ovate to elliptic, 3-6 cm long, slightly asymmetrical, with irregular fine serrations, deep green on the upper surface and lighter green on the lower surface. When young, both surfaces are densely covered with white silky hairs, but later become hairless except for the veins. The plant is monoecious, with both male and female flowers on the same plant. The flowering period is from April to May. The male inflorescence consists of 2-4 flowers at the end of long branches that hang down when they bloom. The fruiting spike matures in October, and is cylindrical and upright. This plant is a native species.

Out of 12 mesh areas, the current situation is unknown in 7 of them. The existing population consists of several individuals in one mesh, dozens of individuals in three meshes, and hundreds of individuals in one mesh, estimated to be a total of approximately 400 individuals. The average decline rate is about 20%, and it is predicted that there will be less than 250 individuals in 20 years. Deforestation and limestone excavation are the main causes of the decline [EN].