Japan Flora: Evergreen glabrous climber, often creeping on the ground, with green, terete, ob­scurely elevated-punctate branchlets; leaves somewhat coria­ceous, elliptic to oblong, 1-4 cm. long, obtuse to subacute, acute to cuneate at base, obtusely serrate, the petioles 5-10 mm. long; inflorescence 2-5 cm. long, few-flowered, on rather slen­der peduncles; flowers pale green; fruit 5-6 mm. across, glo­bose. June-July. Woods and thickets on low mountains.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; common and variable, with cultivars in gardens. Korea, China, and Rynkyus. 

var. villosus (Nakai) Hara. Leaves pubescent.