Korea Flora: Evergreen shrub. Height 7m. Winter buds and leaf buds on branchlets elongated-oval, flower buds round, light brown in color. Branchlets green, quadrangular with pubescence. Leaves thick, elliptical or slightly concave, cuneate at base, decurrent to petiole, 12-17mm long, upper surface green with pubescence on lower half of midrib, lower surface yellowish-green. Margin revolute; petiole 2mm long with pubescence. Flowers terminal or axillary. Calyx with 4 segments; several staminate flowers clustered with a pistillate flower in center. Staminate flowers with 4 stamens and vestigial ovary. Filaments 5mm long, whitish; anthers yellow. Pistillate flowers with 3 stigmas and triangular ovary. Fruit and seed ovoid, 10mm long, glabrous, ripening brown.

Flowering period: (March)April-May
Fruiting period: Early September-Late October
Distribution: Japan (Central Honshu-Kyushu); Throughout Korea

Taxonomic notes: Japanese populations with smaller leaves are treated as var. microphylla, but this distinct small-leaf characteristic is not observed in Korean populations. Additionally, Japanese specimens are subdivided into several varieties based on leaf size and degree of pubescence, and Korean populations are sometimes treated as var. insularis Nakai, but all these are considered to be clinal or individual variations.