Japan Flora: Branched deciduous shrub 30-70 cm. high; stems to 1-2 cm. across, the branches terete, glabrous, brownish; leaves thick- chartaceous, obovate to obovate-orbicular, rarely elliptic, 1.5- 2.5 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, rounded to very obtuse, acute to subcuneate at base, entire, whitish and with raised veinlets beneath, the petioles 1-2 mm. long; flowers few, glabrous, the pedicels 5-7 mm. long; calyx-teeth deltoid; corolla 5-7 mm. long, urceolate, greenish to pinkish; berries globose, 6-7 mm. in diameter, blue-black, bloomy. June-July. Alpine;

Hokkaido, Honshu (centr. and n. distr.). Mountainous regions of the N. Hemisphere.