Trees or small trees, to 10 m tall; young branchlets and terminal buds yellowish brown tomentose. Petiole 4-8 cm, petiole and rachis densely yellow tomentose; leaf blade imparipinnately compound, 18-30 cm; leaflets 7-15, opposite; leaflet petiolule sessile to short; leaflet blade ovate to ovate-elliptic or oblong, 4-10 × 2-4 cm, papery, adaxially appressed pubescent to minutely pubescent along midrib, abaxially densely pubescent, base oblique, rounded or broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate or acute, lateral veins 15-25 pairs, prominent on both surfaces, veinlets prominent abaxially. Inflorescence paniculate, 8-15 cm, densely ferruginous tomentose; peduncle 1.5-3 cm. Pedicel ca. 1.5 mm, minutely pubescent; flowers yellow. Calyx glabrous, lobes ovate, ca. 0.8 mm, obtuse apically. Petals oblong, ca. 1.6 mm, with brown featherlike venation pattern. Stamens exserted; filaments linear, ca. 1.5 mm; anthers ovoid, ca. 0.5 mm; stamens shorter in female flowers and with subulate filaments. Disk 5-lobed. Ovary globose, ca. 1 mm in diam., glabrous. Drupe oblique, compressed, ca. 8 × 6-7 mm, apex eccentric, glabrous and lucid; epicarp thin, separating; mesocarp thick, waxy, with brown longitudinal resin canal. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Oct.
Low mountains, C. and S. Japan. Lowland, hill and mountain forests; at elevations from 100-800 metres, occasionally to 2,300 metres.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.