Japan Flora: Roots thickened; leaves lingulate, 15-30 cm. long, 4-6 cm. wide, obtuse or rounded, petiolelike at base, usually incised; scapes longer than the leaves at anthesis, loosely pubescent, villous under the head; heads about 4 cm. across; involucres pruinose, 15-18 mm. long, the outer bracts erect, lanceolate-oblong or oblong, not corniculate, the inner 14-15 mm. long, linear-lanceolate; achenes obí–´ig-linear, 3.5-4 mm. long, slightly flattened, pale yellow-brown, with spinelike tubercles on upper part, smooth at base. July-Aug. Alpine regions.
Honshu (centr. and n. distr.).
var. shiroumense (H. Koidz.) Kitam. Involucral bracts usually corniculate. Honshu (centr. distr.).