Japanese name: メタカラコウ（雌宝香） Scientific name:Ligularia stenocephala
[Overview]
A perennial 0.5–1 m tall, found along streams in the mountains and subalpine zone, in moist grasslands, and in moist places in forests, often growing in colonies.
The stems and petioles are often tinged with purple and are hairless.
The leaves are of two kinds: basal leaves and stem leaves.
The basal leaves are arrowhead-shaped, about 20–25 cm long, with sharp teeth on the margin.
The basal leaves have long petioles.
Three stem leaves are arranged alternately, and the petioles form broad sheaths.
At the tip of the flower stalk, many yellow flower heads are borne in a raceme.
The flower heads have only 1–3 ray florets, or sometimes none at all.
The fruit is an achene with a brownish pappus.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers sun to partial shade and moderately moist soil.
In the ground, it is also good planted at the edge of a pond or beside a watercourse.
Be careful not to let it dry out; when the soil surface begins to dry, water thoroughly.
If fertilizer is applied at planting, no further feeding is particularly needed, but for potted plants, slow-release fertilizer may be placed on the soil in spring, depending on how the plant is growing.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
