Japan Flora: Bulbs small, ovoid, with few scales; stems nearly smooth, 30-80 cm. long, terete, green; leaves linear, 3-7 cm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, sessile, smooth except for minute semirounded tubercles on margin, the nerves slender; flowers 1-5, erect, orange-yellow to reddish, the tepals oblanceolate, loosely woolly outside, usually spotted, 3-4 cm. long, the nectary grooves papillose on both sides; anthers the same color as the tepals; styles as long as the ovary.  June-July. Meadows in mountains.

Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; rare. Korea, Manchuria, Amur. The typical phase of China has purplish, more densely papillose-tubercled stems.

Japan Red List (2000)

It is a perennial herb that grows in mountainous areas. The stem can reach a height of 30-80 cm. The plant has numerous linear leaves, each measuring 5-10 cm in length. The flowers bloom from June to July and face upwards. The petals are shaped like inverted lance tips and are about 3-4 cm long, with deep red color and dark spots.

Of the 47 areas, one has gone extinct and the status is unclear for 18 of them. The estimated total number of individuals is around 400, with several individuals in 16 areas and dozens in 12 areas. The average decline rate is about 80%, and the probability of extinction in 20 years is about 90%. The main causes of the decline are collection for horticulture, vegetation transition due to land use, and development of grasslands [VU].