Japanese name: アワブキ（泡吹） Scientific name:Meliosma myriantha
[Overview]
A deciduous tree found in the mountains, reaching 10 m in height and 30 cm in trunk diameter.
The winter buds are densely covered with yellowish brown hairs.
Young branches have yellowish brown hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong, 10–25 cm long and 4–8 cm wide.
The lateral veins are parallel, in 20–27 pairs, protrude on the underside, and reach the tips of the teeth.
There are yellowish brown hairs on the veins on the underside of the leaf.
The leaf margin has low teeth ending in awns.
The petiole is 1–2 cm long.
A large panicle about 15–25 cm long stands erect at the branch tip.
The axis of the inflorescence has yellowish brown hairs.
The flowers are pale yellowish white, 5-petaled and about 0.3 cm across, but 2 of the petals are small and linear, so the flowers look 3-petaled.
There are 5 stamens, but usually only 2 are complete and 3 are staminodes.
The fruit is a spherical drupe about 0.4–0.5 cm across, ripening red.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or from seed.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
It is hardy, fast-growing and easy to cultivate.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
[Notes]
The Japanese name is said to come from the fact that when the wood is burned, foam comes out of the cut end.
