Rose family, Rosaceae
Origin: East Asia (Japan, Korea, East China), the plant has been also imported to the north-eastern U.S.A. and south-eastern Canada
Habitat in the original area: mountain valleys and shrubby and forested slopes in eastern Asia; forest edges, scrubs and disturbed habitats around human settlements in North America
Habitus: The plant growing to the height of 3 metres. Its Branches are glabrous, thornless, arched.
Leaf: The leaves grow opposite and have sparse trichomes, they are ovate, pointed at the top, with serrated edges.
Bloom, fruit: It blooms from April to June. White four-petaled blooms are placed singly at the top of the branches. Fruits are black spherical drupes occurring in clusters of three to four.
Interesting facts: The fruits are inedible, poisonous (they contain amygdalin). The Rhodotypos is monotypic, it is represented by only this single East Asian species.
