Japanese name: ヤハズヒゴタイ Scientific name:Saussurea triptera var. triptera
[Overview]
A perennial 30–60 cm tall, growing in grassland and at woodland edges from the mountains to the alpine zone.
The stem is erect, winged, and branches in the upper part.
There are basal leaves and leaves arranged alternately on the stem; the basal leaves remain at flowering time.
The basal leaves and the leaves on the lower part of the stem are ovate to ovate-elliptic, 5–13 cm long, with wavy or coarsely toothed margins, or pinnately divided.
Both surfaces of the leaves are covered with brown hairs.
The petiole is 4–15 cm long.
Three to seven or more flower heads are borne at the stem tip; they are about 1 cm across and consist only of pale red-purple to red-purple tubular florets.
The involucre is cylindrical, 1.1 cm long and 0.5–0.6 cm in diameter, and the margins and tips of the involucral bracts are tinged dark purplish brown.
The involucral bracts are in 7–8 rows, and their tips extend into thick, short, tail-like points.
The fruit is an achene with a pappus.
