Japan Flora: Rhizomes creeping, branched, dark brown fibrous; leaves glaucescent, 30-50 cm. long, 5-12 mm. wide, the midrib slender, not prominent; scapes 30-60 cm. long, hollow, unbranched, 1- to 3-bractate, the uppermost bract linear-lanceolate, green, acuminate, 5-6 cm. long, the bracteoles similar but sometimes longer than the bracts; flowers 2 or 3, red-purple, about 8 cm. across, the pedicels 2-4 cm. long, shorter than the bracteoles, much longer than the ovary, the outer perianth-segments broadly obovate, the claw yellow with transverse blue lines, the inner segments erect, small; anthers dark purple; stigma-appendages dentate. May-July. Moun­tain meadows.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu. Korea and e. Siberia.

var. violacea Makino. Leaves narrower and firmer, slightly tortuous, deeper green; flowers deep violet, the inner perianth-segments slightly longer. Said to have been introduced from Korea and sometimes to be planted in our area.