Japan Flora: Stems terete, 25-40 cm. long; basal leaves scalelike, the cauline 3 or 4, chiefly on the lower part of the stem, rather flat, slightly involute, pluritubulose but smooth, 10-12 cm. long, about 1 mm. wide, somewhat obtuse; heads 1 or 2, hemi- sphaerical, 1-1.5 cm. in diameter, 4- to 6-flowered, the lowest bract somewhat leaf like, usually exceeding the inflorescence; flowers large, short-pedicelled, dark brown, 7-8(^) mm. long inclusive of the capsule; perian th-segments lanceolate, acute; stamens 6, nearly as long as the perianth, the anthers nearly half as long as the filaments; capsule narrowly oblong, acute, about twice as long as the perianth; seeds ellipsoidal, the body about 1 mm. long, but 3-4 mm. long inclusive of the long taillike appendage at both ends.
Hokkaido (Mount Daisetsu). Kuriles, Korea, and e. Siberia.