Japan Flora: Glabrous much-branchcd deciduous shrub 30-100 cm. high; stems 5-15 mm. thick near base, the branches yellow-brown, acutely 4-anglcd; leaves sub- chartaceous, elliptic to broadly ovate, 2-4 cm. long, 1.5-2.5 cm. wide, obtuse, acute to obtuse at base, glabrous, entire, slightly glaucescent beneath, weakly nerved on both sides, sub- sessile; flowers solitary, nearly terminal, nodding, the pedicels ebracteate, 7-12 mm. long, glabrous; calyx-limb short, obsoletely toothed; corolla urceolate, about 5 mm. long, pale green; berries blue-black, globose, bloomy, 8-10 mm. in diameter, sweet and edible. June-July. Alpine;

Hokkaido, Honshu (centr. and n. distr.); rather common. e. Asia and N. America. f. obovoideum (Takeda) Hara. Berries obovoid.

f. platyanthum (Nakai) Hara. Corolla depressed-urceolate.

Var. coriaceum H. Boiss. Leaves broadly ovate, serrulate, espe-cially on lower half. Occurs with the typical phase.

f. angustifolium (Nakai) Ohwi. Narrow-leaved phase.