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Helwingia japonica
Look closely at the upper surface of the broad, ovate leaves of Helwingia japonica in May and you'll notice tiny green flowers arising from the centre of the leaf.
Helwingia are monoecious shrubs, their separate male and female flowers arranged in tiny umbels. Rare in nature, epiphyllous flowers (Greek: epi = upon, phyllon = leaf) develop with their pedicels fused to the midrib of the leaf. This unusual arrangement is thought to be an adaptation that assists pollination by small insects. Helwingiaceae is a monotypic family (i.e., comprising only a single genus, Helwingia), with all three species native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia.