Betula delavayi

Betula delavayi is a member of the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to the broadleaf forests of northeastern China (northwest Yunnan, southwest Sichuan). It is a shrub or small tree, reaching a height of up to 8 m.

• Branches are diagonal or prostrate, sometimes erect, branchlets brown, densely yellow villous (hairy).
• Leaves are elliptic oblong, ovate or broadly ovate, ovate to elliptic, dark green, base rounded, 2–7 cm long and 1–4 cm across, with doubly minutely serrate margins, apex tapering to a slight point or rounded, 9–20 pairs of lateral veins.
• Tree is monoecious; staminate (male) inflorescences are catkin-like, solitary or in groups of two to four, 4–6 cm long; pistillate (female) inflorescences are catkin-like, solitary, drooping, oblong to cylindrical, 1–2.5 cm long and 0.5–1 cm wide; flowers are inconspicuous; bracts pubescent, three-lobed.
• Female flowers are followed by erect cone-like fruits persistent over the winter, containing numerous, 3 mm long winged seeds that typically mature in late summer.