Japan Flora: Perennial herb with slender stolons; Rhizomes short, densely tufted; stolons absent, roots partially thickened; leaves fasciculate, somewhat arcuate above, 10-30 (-40) cm. long, 1.5-3(-4) mm. wide, 3-5-nerved, obtuse; scapes 7-12 cm. long, compressed, 1-1.5 mm. wide, acute on margin; racemes solitary, 1-8 cm. long, about 10-flowered, the flowers pale purple to nearly white, -5 mm. long, nodding, the pedicels 2-6 mm. long, jointed at the middle or just below the flower; anthers about 2.5 mm. long; seeds globose, deep blue. July-Aug. Shaded places in lowlands to the foothills;

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; often planted in our gardens. Korea and China.

var. caespitosus Okuyama. Rhizomes tufted, the plants scarcely stolon if erous. Honshu (Awa Prov.).