Leaves are alternate, thick coriaceous, nigrescently serrate, deep green and lustrous above, pale yellowish green and opaque beneath.

Petioles are glabrous and colpate.

Yellowish green dioecious flowers open densely in April on the annotinous branchlets.

This species is widely found in the warm temperate zone.

The wood is used for turneries. From the bark birdlime is produced. The leaves are used for a substitute for tea and people used to write words on the undersurface.

Distribution ; Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, China