Japan Flora: Biennial; rhizomes short; roots narrowly fusiform at base; stems erect, 1-2 m. long, branched and cobwebby on upper portion; radical and lower cauline leaves large, short- pctiolate, 40-50 cm. long, about 20 cm. wide, caudate, pin­natcly cleft, the lobes about 5 pairs, linear, glabrous, the median leaves narrowly elliptic, 15-25 cm. long, sessile; heads many, pendulous at anthesis; involucres ovoid, about 2 cm. long, 2.5-35 cm. wide, slighdy cobwebby; bracts 8-seriate, the median and outer linear, often reflexed, with a dark mid­rib; corollas capillary, 17-22 mm. long, purplish. Aug.-Oct. Grassy places in lowlands.

Hokkaido, Honshu (Kanto Distr. and northw.).  Korea, Manchuria, Amur, Ussuri, and Dahuria.

f. albiflorum (Makino) Kitam. Corollas white.