Japan Flora: Roots elongate; stems 50-100 cm. long, much branched above, the branchlets acutely angled, papillose on the angles; cladodes 3-7 in a fascicle, narrowly linear, flattened with a raised rib on one side, somewhat fal­cate, 1-2 cm. long, acuminate, short-awned at the tip; flowers 2-4 in the axils, broadly campanulate, 2.5-3 mm. long, pale greenish yellow, the pedicels short, 1-2 mm. long, jointed near the top; anthers cordate, much shorter than the filaments; fruit red.  May-July.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyu­shu. Sakhalin, Korea, Ussuri, Dahuria, Manchuria, China, and Formosa.

var. subsetaceus Franch. The cladodes more slender.