Japan Flora: Rhizomes creeping; stems 15-30 cm. long, densely branched, flexuous, the branchlets angled, often scattered-prickly; leaves broadly ovate to orbicular, mucronate, usually rounded at both ends, subcoriaceous, green, whitish beneath, 5-15 mm. long, 3-nerved, the petioles 2-3 mm. long, the tendrils 0-1.5 mm. long, subulate; umbels axillary, short-pedunculate, about 2- flowered; flowers yellow-green, the staminate tepals elliptic, obliquely spreading, recurved above, about 3 mm. long, the inner whorl narrowly oblong; stamens 1/2-3/5 as long as the tepals, the anthers elliptic, about 0.5 mm. long; berry red, globose, about 5 mm. long. Apr. Mountains;

Kyushu (Yakushima). Ryukyus (Amami-oshima).

var. trinervula (Miq.) Hatusima. Stems erect, 30-50 cm. long, loosely branched; leaves elliptic to oblong or suborbicular, 1.5-4 cm. long, 1-2.5 cm. wide, glaucous beneath. May-June. Mountains; Honshu (Kanto Distr. and westw.).