Distylium racemosum

The izunoki winter-hazel tree is in the witch-hazel or Hamamelidaceae family and is native to southern Japan.

• It typically is kept as an evergreen shrub, but can grow into a tree up to 18 m tall.
• Leaves are simple, alternate, 3.7–7.5 cm long and 1.3–3.1 cm across, leathery, entire, narrow-oblong or obovate, tapering at the base to a short stalk, often blunt at the apex, shining deep green, glabrous on both sides except when very young.
• Flowers are sometimes unisexual, in small erect racemes about 2.5–3.7 cm long, with no petals, but a five-parted, crimson red, downy calyx, and several lurid purple stamens; flower-stalks covered with rusty-coloured scurf.
• Fruit is semi-woody, downy, semi-oval with the two styles remaining attached at the top.