Tricyrtis formosana ("Taiwanhototogisu")

Japanese name: タイワンホトトギス （台湾杜鵑草）
Scientific name: Tricyrtis formosana

[Overview]
A perennial 25–80 cm tall, growing in slightly moist places in mountain forests.
It has long, much-branched underground stems.
The stem is much branched, zigzag, and hairy.
Leaves are simple and alternate, oblong, 8–13 cm long and 2.5–4.5 cm wide, with hairs on the underside.
The leaf base clasps the stem like a sheath.
Flowers are borne facing upward in cymes at the stem tips.
The flowers are cup-shaped with six tepals; the tepals spread obliquely and are white with purple tips.
The inside of the flower is spotted with reddish purple throughout, with yellow spots at the base.
The bases of the outer tepals swell into a round shape and are divided into two.
The style of the pistil divides into three, and each branch divides again into two and spreads out flat.
There are 6 stamens; the filaments rise along the style, curve back at the top, and bear the anthers facing outward.
The filaments and style have reddish purple spots.
The small flower stalks are 1–6 cm long.
The fruit is a capsule 2.5–3.5 cm long and 0.5–0.6 cm wide.

[History]
Hybrid cultivars have been made between it and Hototogisu, and these hybrid cultivars are also often called Hototogisu.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by shoot cuttings.
As long as the site is bright partial shade with good drainage, it is not particular about soil.
It prefers an environment with high air humidity, and places that dry out easily should be avoided.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
If a slow-release fertilizer rich in phosphorus is applied as a base fertilizer, nothing more is particularly needed, but for potted plants slow-release fertilizer may be placed on the soil once a month in spring.
Pests and diseases include southern blight and slugs.

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