Betula chichibuensis

Chichibu birch is a member of the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to Honshu Island in Japan. It is a small tree, reaching up to 4 m in height.

The species is critically endangered.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to oblong, acute tip, up to 3–6 cm long and 1.5–3.2 cm, margins minutely serrated, upper surface green and glabrous, lower surface with dense, white hairs on the veins, 14–18 lateral veins on each side of the midvein, strongly corrugated appearance; petiole 0.4–0.7 cm long, covered in dense, white hairs.
• Species is monoecious; male (staminate) flowers are drooping catkins up to 4 cm long; female (pistillate) flowers form erect reddish-green oblong catkins, up to 2 cm long, turning dark brown in the fall, disintegrating in the winter and dispersing their seeds.
• Bark is initially brown, flaky, but later develops conspicuous raised lenticels with age.