Japanese name: イソノキ（磯木） Scientific name:Frangula crenata
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 2–5 m tall, found in wetlands and in moist places in forests in warm regions.
Young branches are at first densely covered with reddish brown hairs.
The leaves are simple, arranged alternately or in alternating pairs ("Kokusagi-type phyllotaxis"), obovate-oblong, 6–12 cm long, with conspicuous pinnate veins in 6–10 pairs.
The upper surface of the leaf is sparsely hairy and the underside is more densely hairy, but plants distributed in the north are said to be hairless.
The leaf margin has fine, low serrations.
The petiole is about 1 cm long.
Cymes arising from the leaf axils in the upper part of the branches bear several flowers each.
The flowers are yellowish green with 5 petals and 0.5 cm across, but the triangular calyx lobes stand erect and the petals and stamens are lower than the calyx lobes, so the flowers remain half open.
The calyx tube is bell-shaped.
The fruit is spherical, about 0.6 cm across, changing from green to red and ripening to purplish black.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
A sunny site with good drainage and good water retention is suitable.
