Japan Flora: Stems about 2 m. long, densely leaved, glabrous; lower cauline leaves elliptic or elliptic-lanceo­late, about 30 cm. long, short-acuminate, cuneate at base, broadly auriculate-clasping, deeply pinnatifid, the lobes about 5 pairs, spreading, oblong, obtuse to acute, coarsely spine- toothed, glabrous above, loosely silky beneath; heads few, 3-4 cm. across, usually on long slender short-pubescent peduncles, nodding at anthesis; involucres globose-campanulate, some­times cobwebby, 1,5 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. wide; bracts 6-scriate, scarcely spine-tipped, viscid on back, obtuse to acute, the outer short, lanceolate to ovate, spreading, oblong; corollas purplish, 16-18 mm. long.       Aug.-Oct. High mountains.

Honshu (n'v. part of centr. distr.).

var. pubescens Kitam. Stems densely pubescent. 

var. dubium Kitam. Leaves entire to pinnatifid，clasping or not clasping; heads smaller; involucres shorter, the outer bracts short-recurved and densely cobwebby. Honshu (n'v. part of centr. distr.).