Japan Flora: Stems 1-2 m. long, cobwebby to glabrous; median cauline leaves thick, elliptic- lanceolate, 20-30 cm. long, acuminate, narrowed at base, entire or incised-toothed, glabrous above, crisped-pubescent or some­times glabrous beneath, sessile or short winged-petiolate^ some­times pinnatifid, the spines 1-2 mm. long, the lobes 5 or 6 pairs, acuminate, lobulate nearly to the base; heads many, peduncu­late, nodding in anthers; involucres campanulate, sometimes cobwebby; bracts 7-seriate, the outer and median often lanceo­late and elongate, long-recurved or spreading, sometimes short and spreading; corollas purplish, 16-20 mm. long. Aug.-Oct.

Honshu (n. and centr. distr.).

f. lanuginosum (Nakai) Kitam. Leaves cobwebby beneath.

var. sendaicum (Nakai) Kitam. Lower and median leaves pinnatiparted, the segments 5 pairs, glabrous above, short-pubescent beneath.     Honshu (n. distr.).

var. amplexicaule (Nakai) Kitam. Differs from var. sendaicum in having cauline leaves slightly clasping. Honshu (Matsushima in Rikuzen).

var. comosum (Fr. & Sav.) Kitam. Heads congested or short-pedunculate; involucral bracts and leaves with thick stout spines. Grassy places near seashore; Honshu (s. Kanto Distr.).

var. mcomptum (Maxim.) Kitam. Stems 1-2 m. long; leaves pinnatifid, sometimes merely toothed; spines shorter; heads often rather long-pedunculate; involu­cral bracts with a shorter spine-tip.  Honshu (Kanto, Tokaido, and e. Kinki Distr.).

var. sawadae (Kitam.) Kitam. Stems often hairy; leaves pin­nately cleft, the lobes very narrow, long-acuminate; heads campanulate, about 25 mm. wide, ascending at anthesis, short- pedunculate or sessile.  Mountains; Honshu (Sagami and Suruga Prov.).

var. yatsugatakense (Nakai) Kitam. Median leaves long-acuminate, short- pubescent on both sides, often cobwebby beneath, sometimes partially clasping, the lobes 4-6 pairs, spines 5-10 mm. long.   High mountains; Honshu (Shinano, Iwashiro Prov.).

var. yoshinoi (Nakai) Kitam. Leaves entire to pin­nately cleft, acuminate, not clasping; spines 2-4 mm. long; heads many, sometimes in racemes, nodding at anthesis; in­volucres about 1.6 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. wide, the outer bracts short, recurved toward the tip, short spine-tipped, sometimes viscid. Honshu (Kinki and Chugoku Distr.).

var. shikokianum Kitam. Differs from the preceding variety in the slightly larger heads with spreading marginal florets; involucral bracts slighdy elongate, acutely recurved, short-spined. Shikoku.