Japan Flora: Tree, the branchlets soon glabrate; leaves ovate to broadly so or elliptic-ovate, 7-13 cm. long, 4-7 cm. wide, abruptly acuminate, cordate, irregularly serrulate, with the teeth ending in a short awn, nearly glabrous or with scattered hairs on the nerves and axillary tufts of brownish short hairs on lower side, the lateral nerves of 15 to 20 pairs, the petioles 1.5-3 cm. long; fruiting aments narrowly oblong, pendulous, the peduncles glabrous or puberulous, 2-4 cm, long, the scales 2-2.5 cm. long, oblong, toothed; nuts oblong, about 5 mm. long, glabrous, with about 10 striations on each side.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. Korea and China.

Korea Flora: Deciduous tree. Height 15m. Diameter 60cm. Bark gray, almost smooth. Winter buds and branchlets: Buds slender, 2cm long, elongated-ovoid with pointed tip, 20-26 scales, terminal and lateral buds similar in size (7-14mm long). Branchlets initially pubescent, becoming glabrous. Leaf scars semi-lunar. Leaves alternate, ovate, elongated-ovoid or elliptical, apex acuminate, base cordate, 7.5-10(14)cm × 4-5(7)cm, margins with irregular double serration, 16-22 pairs of lateral veins, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with or without hairs on veins. Petiole 1-1.5cm long, with or without hairs. Flowers monoecious, male catkins terminal with leaves, 1-6cm long, male flowers single per bract with 4-8 stamens, filaments 2. Female catkins pendulous at branch tips, female flowers 2 per bract, 4-5 petals, single ovary, 2 styles. Fruit and Seeds: fruiting catkins 6-8cm × 4.5cm, cylindrical. Leaf-like bracts symmetrical with serrations on both sides, 15-20mm long. Ovoid with hairs at base. Fruit a small nut, elliptical, 4-6mm long, glabrous.

Sporophyte chromosome number 16.
Flowering period: Mid-April to late May (some parts of Gangwon Province)
Fruiting period: Mid to late September
Distribution: Northern and Northeast China, Southern Far East Russia, Central and Northern Japan; throughout the countryEcological characteristics: Grows well in moist, fertile soils