Vincetoxicum macrophyllum var. nikoense("Tsurugashiwa")
Japanese name: ツルガシワ（蔓柏） Scientific name:Vincetoxicum macrophyllum var. nikoense
[Overview]
A perennial 50–100 cm tall, found in places such as the shade of trees in the mountains.
The tip of the stem extends like a vine.
Leaves are simple and opposite; those on the erect stem are large, broadly ovate to elliptic, 12–25 cm long and 7–15 cm wide, with entire margins.
The petiole is 0.3–0.6 cm.
The leaves on the vine-like part of the stem are small and bear cymes in the leaf axils.
The flowers are star-shaped, 0.6–1 cm across, and dark purple, with white hairs on the inside.
The fruit is a follicle 5–8 cm long and 0.4 cm wide; when ripe it splits open and releases seeds with long white hairs.
