Aria alnifolia (alder-leafed whitebeam, "Azukinashi")

Japanese name: アズキナシ （小豆梨）
Scientific name: Aria alnifolia

[Overview]
A deciduous tree found in the mountains, reaching more than 15 m in height.
Young branches are purplish black, with conspicuous white lenticels.
Leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic, 5–10 cm long and 3–4 cm wide.
There are 8–10 pairs of lateral veins, which are very conspicuous, run almost straight to the tips of the teeth, and protrude on the underside.
There are appressed hairs on the veins on the underside of the leaf.
The leaf margin is doubly serrated.
The petiole is 1–2 cm long, reddish, and slightly covered with soft hairs.
The leaves turn yellow in autumn.
Compound corymbs at the tips of short branches bear a dozen or more flowers.
The flowers are white and 5-petaled, 1.3–1.6 cm across.
The petals are round and spread flat.
There are 20 stamens and 2 styles.
The fruit is an oblong pear-like fruit (pome) 0.7–1 cm long and 0.6–0.8 cm wide, ripening red and bearing lenticels.
The fruit is edible.

[Uses]
The fruit is used medicinally and made into fruit liquor.
The wood is hard and is used for construction, furniture and utensils.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers fertile, sunny, well-drained soil.
It dislikes strong afternoon sun.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and dryness.
Apply organic fertilizer around the plant as fertilizer in winter.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

[Notes]
The alternative name Hakari-no-me compares the white lenticels on the young branches to the graduations on a scale.

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