Japan Flora: Stems 35-65 cm. long, narrowly winged, densely brownish crispcd-pubcrulent; radical leaves ovate or oblong, 5-12 cm. long, mucronate-acuminate, deeply cordate to subhastate at base, mucronate-toothed, brown- puberuknt on both sides especially toward the margin on upper side and veins beneath, the petioles narrowly winged, the median and upper leaves gradually smaller, ovate to lanceolate, cordate to cuneate at base; heads in groups of 2-8, in loose corymbs, pedicel led; involucres globose-campanulate, 15-16 mm. long, 13-15 mm. wide, densely brownish crisped- puberulent, dark purple on upper portion; bracts 5-seriate, the outer ovate-lanceolate, 2-4 mm. wide at base, as long as the median and inner ones, acuminate, often recurved, the inner oblong-linear, acuminate; corollas purplish, about 10 mm. long. ----- Aug.-Sept. High mountains.
Honshu (Iwaki Prov., n. Kanto Distr. and Shinano Prov.).
var. sessiliflora (Koidz.) Kitam. Heads usually 2 or 3, rather large, sessile. Honshu (n. and centr. distr.).
var. involucrata (Matsum. & Koidz.) Kitam. Involucral bracts very large, recurved. Honshu (Nikko in Shimotsuke).