Japan Flora: Erect, slightly puberulous perennial; stems angular and sparsely branched above, 80-100 cm. long; leaves short-petioled, the stipules semi-ovate, dentate, or narrow and bifid the leaflets 8-12, rather thin, lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 2.5-6 cm. long, 8-10 mm. wide, long-acumi­nate, the tendrils reduced to spines; racemes 2-4 cm. long, rather short-peduncled, one-sided, several to many-flowered; flowers 12-15 mm. long, bluish purple, the bracts inconspicu­ous; calyx-teeth short. May-Sept. Woods.

Honshu (centr. distr. and westw.)，Kyushu (rare).

f. minor (Nakai) Ohwi. With smaller ovate leaf­lets 10-25 mm. long, 8-15 mm. wide, acute. Honshu (Chugoku Distr.) and Kyushu. Intermediates often occur between the typical phase and var. cuspidata. The typical phase occurs in e. Siberia, Manchuria, and Korea.