Saussurea nikoensis var. nikoensis("Shiraneazami")
Japanese name: シラネアザミ（白根薊） Scientific name:Saussurea nikoensis var. nikoensis
[Overview]
A perennial 10–80 cm tall, growing in grasslands and woodland edges in the alpine to subalpine zone.
It has underground stems.
The stem is erect and has narrow wings.
There are basal leaves and stem leaves; the basal leaves have withered by the flowering season.
The stem leaves are simple and alternate; those on the lower part of the stem are ovate to elliptic, 5–18 cm long and 5–11 cm wide, sometimes hastate, with toothed margins.
The petiole is 7–10 cm long and winged in the upper part.
The flowers are borne singly at the stem tip or sparsely in corymbs of 2–8, are about 1.5–1.7 cm across, and consist only of pale red-purple tubular florets.
The involucre is bell-shaped to cylindrical, 1.5–1.7 cm long and 1–1.5 cm across, covered with brown hairs, and dark purplish brown.
The involucral bracts are in 7–8 rows, and their tips are drawn out into long tails that curve backward.
The fruit is an achene with a pappus.
