Japan Flora: Evergreen perennial herb from stout creeping rhizomes, the roots stout; leaves radical, long-petioled, smooth, erect, 30-50 cm. long, deep green, lustrous, oblong- lanceolate, acuminate at both ends, the midrib rather thick; scapes 2-7 cm. long, stout, glabrous, with 4-5 membranous scalelike bracts; flowers 2-2.5 cm. long, brown-purple, the perianth-lobes 8-9, narrowly deltoid, obtuse, about 1 cm. long, thick; anthers nearly sessile, inserted on the tube below the middle. Feb.-May.

Introduced Chinese plant long cultivated in our gardens.