Japan Flora: Erect foetid shrub with grayish branches, slightly puberulous while young; leaves alternate, two together on one side, the petiole 5-10 mm. long, the blade obovate, rhombic-ovate or elliptic, 5-12 cm. long, 3-7 cm. wide, abruptly acute with an obtuse tip, puberulous especially on nerves while young, entire or with a few irregular sinuses on margin; inflorescence axillary on the branches of the pre­ceding year, the staminate inflorescences in few-flowered ra­cemes, 2-3 cm. long, the bracts elliptic, membranous, decidu­ous, 3-5 mm. long, the pedicels 3-6 mm. long, the pistillate flowers solitary, the pedicels 1-2 cm. long; petals spreading, about 3 mm. long, greenish; fruidets obliquely  ellipsoidal 10 mm. long, transversely nerved; seeds about 4 mm. long.  Apr.-May. Woods and thickets in low mountains;

Hon­shu, Shikoku, Kyushu; common.  s. Korea and China.

Korea Flora: Deciduous shrub. Height up to 2m. Winter buds 2 buds on one side, alternating, long ovate shape, pointed tip, 12-18 bud scales. Terminal bud larger or similar in size to lateral buds, 5-7mm long. Leaf scars semicircular, and branches hairy.  Leaves alternate, elliptical or spoon-shaped, 5-13cm × 3-7cm in size, with pointed tips and short petioles at the base. surface yellowish-green, glossy, with a distinctive smell. Leaf margins smooth with wavy serrations, and initially hairy on the veins of the underside. Flowers dioecious. Yellowish-green flowers in leaf axils. Male flowers racemes, with 4 sepals, 4 petals, 4 stamens, and 1 reduced pistil. Female flowers solitary, with 1 pistil, 4 reduced sepals, petals, and stamens, and 4 stigmas. Fruits  brown capsule that splits into 4 parts, with a hard endocarp. Black seeds dispersed widely.

Sporophyte chromosome number: 34, 40.

Flowering April-May

Fruiting September-October

Distribution: Southern and central China, Honshu-Kyushu in Japan; Gyeongsangnamdo, Jeollanamdo, Jeollabukdo, coastal areas of Gyeonggido, and Jeju in Korea.