Japan flora: Rhizomes short, stout, tufted; leaves 30-60 cm. long, 25-3.5 cm. wide, pale green, acuminate, glabrous, the midrib not prominent; scapes 30-50 cm. long, with few ensiform bracts, the branches 1-2, 2- to 3-flowered, the bracteoles obovate-oblong, membranous, acute or mucronate, 4-5 cm. long, the pedicels nearly absent; flowers purple, about 10 cm. across, the perianth-tube about 2.5 cm. long, the outer periantli-segments obovate, short- clawed, densely fringe-crested on lower half, the inner segments nearly as large as the outer, obliquely spreading; stigmaappendages irregularly toothed. May.

Chinese plant long cultivated in Japan, frequently grown on the roof of straw- thatched houses.