Japan Flora: Nearly glabrous to slightly pubescent perennials with 沈arcely thickened roots; stems 50-100 cm. long, obtusely quadrangular, branched, the nodes thickened; leaves oblong, elliptic or obovate, 10-20 cm. long, 4-10 cm. wide, acuminate; inflorescence elongate, usually loosely flowered in fruit, the bracts membranous, ovate- deltoid, with a green long-protruded midrib, to J4 as long as the perianth; flowers horizontal in anthesis, deflexed in fruit, the bracteoles subulate, shorter than the perianth, the basal auricles membranous, whitish, about 0.8 mm. long, nerveless, orbicular, the perianth 4-5 mm. long, the segments linear- lanceolate, acuminate, the inner ones slightly shorter, the staminodes sessile, denticulate or obsoletely 2-lobulate; utricles oblong, about 2.5 mm. long, about 1 mm. across, thinly membranous, 1-seeded, the style slender, erect, about 1 mm. long. Aug.-Sept. Woods in lowlands and hills; Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; common.

 

var. hachijoensis Honda. A maritime phase with thicker glabrescent lustrous leaves. Honshu (Hachijo Isl. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyushu. Ryukyus.

  Hokkaido(south), Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu(south), and Ryuku