Japan Flora: Coarsely hirsute perennial; rhizomes rather stout; stems erect, 30-80 cm. long, often branching above; leaves 5- to 7-foliolate, the leaflets gradually smaller in the lower ones, alternate with much smaller ones, the upper 3 uniform, larger, oblong, obovate or ovate-oblong, 3-6 cm. long, 1.5-3.5 cm. wide, acute to sub* obtuse, coarsely toothed, pale green and often with spreading short hairs on the nerves beneath; stipules green, coarsely toothed; inflorescence terminal, erect, 10-20 cm. long; flowers loosely arranged at anthesis, yellow; calyx-tube accrescent after anthesis, about 3 mm. long in fruit, sulcate, with a series of connivent hooked spines on upper edge; petals narrowly ob­ovate, rounded at apex, 3-6 mm. long. July-Oct. Meadows and roadsides in lowlands and mountains.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; rather common. Korea, China, Siberia, and e. Europe.

var. nipponica (Koidz.) Kitam. Slender; leaflets 3-5, obtuse; flowers smaller. Occurs with the typical phase.