500 



Saxifragaceae 



2. Astilbe simplicifolia Makino. Hitotsuba-shoma. 

 Rhizomes short; stems 10-30 cm. long, usually with 1 leafless 

 node; radical leaves simple, thinly chartaceous, broadly to 

 narrowly ovate, often 3- to 5-lobulate, 3-8 cm. long, 2-5 cm. 

 wide, doubly incised-toothed, the petioles 5-15 cm. long; in- 

 florescence 5-20 cm. long, the axis with short glandular hairs, 

 the branches spreading; flowers in loose panicles, white, the 

 pedicels 1-5 mm. long; calyx-lobes narrowly ovate to broadly 

 lanceolate, white in anthesis, spreading; petals linear-spathulate, 

 as long as the stamens; anthers pale yellow; capsules 3-4 mm. 

 long. Honshu (Suruga and Sagami Prov.) ; rare. 



3. Astilbe chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. var. davidii 



Franch. A. davidii (Franch.) Henry O-chidake-sashi. 



Rhizomes stout; stems 30-70 cm. long; radical leaves 2- to 

 partially 3-ternate, the terminal leaflets ovate, 2-8 cm. long, 

 1-4 cm. wide, short-acute, doubly acute-toothed, chartaceous; 

 inflorescence 15-30 cm. long, erect, the branches densely 

 flowered, the axis densely long brown-hairy, the pedicels very 

 short; flowers rose-purple; petals linear, about 5 mm. long, 

 twice as long as the stamens; anthers purple; capsules 3-4 mm. 



long. July-Aug. Reported from Kyushu (Tsushima). 



Korea, Manchuria, n. China, Amur, and Ussuri. The typical 

 phase does not occur in our area. 



4. Astilbe microphylla Knoll. A. chinensis var. japon- 

 ica Maxim. Chidake-sashi. Stems 30-80 cm. long; radi- 

 cal leaves 2-4 times ternately compound, long-petiolate, the 

 terminal leaflets chartaceous, broadly ovate, obovate or elliptic, 

 1-5 cm. long, 5-30 mm. wide, usually obtuse, irregularly 

 doubly acute-toothed; inflorescence narrow, 10-20 cm. long, 

 rather loosely short-branched, the axis glandular-hairy, the 

 ultimate branches racemose; flowers pale rose-colored; petals 

 linear-spathulate, obtuse, 3-5 mm. long, longer than the sta- 

 mens; capsules 3-4 mm. long. July-Aug. Mountains, 



rather common in sunny grassy places; Honshu, Shikoku, 

 Kyushu. 



5. Astilbe japonica (Morr. & Decne.) A. Gray. Hoteia 



japonica Morr. & Decne. Awamori-shoma. Perennial 



herb; stems 50-80 cm. long; radical leaves 2-ternate, thick- 

 chartaceous, the terminal leaflets rhombic-lanceolate, oblanceo- 

 late or rhombic-oblong, 3-7 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, deeply 

 and doubly acute-toothed; panicles 10-20 cm. long, short- 

 glandular, densely flowered; flowers white; petals narrowly 

 spathulate, 3-4 mm. long, usually longer than the stamens; 



capsules 3-4 mm. long. May-June. Rocks in mountain 



ravines; Honshu (Kinki Distr. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyu- 

 shu. 



Var. terrestris (Nakai) Murata. A. glaberrima Nakai; A. 



glaberrima forma terrestris Nakai Yakushima-shoma. 



Stems 5-50 cm. long, the terminal leaflets often 3-lobed, 



broadly lanceolate, long-acuminate, thinly chartaceous. 



Kyushu (Yakushima). 



6. Astilbe thunbergii (Sieb. & Zucc.) Miq. A. perplexi- 



pexa Koidz.; Hoteia thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc; A. \iusiana 

 Hara; A. thunbergii var. \iusiana Hara Aka-shoma. Rhi- 

 zomes stout; stems 40-80 cm. long; radical leaves 3-ternate, the 

 terminal leaflets chartaceous, ovate or narrowly so, 4-12 cm. 

 long, 2-5 cm. wide, caudate, doubly acute-toothed, obtuse to 

 shallowly cordate at base; panicles 10-30 cm. long, slenderly 

 branched, the lower branches simple, elongate, densely glandu- 

 lar; flowers white; petals linear-spathulate, 3-4 mm. long, 



longer than the stamens; capsules 2-3 irun. long. May-July. 



Sunny grassy slopes; Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; common and 

 very variable. 



Var. sikokumontana (Koidz.) Murata. A. si\o\umontana 



Koidz. Hime-aka-shoma. Leaflets doubly incised-toothed, 



sometimes narrower than in the typical variety. Mountains; 



Shikoku. 



Var. shikokiana (Nakai) Ohwi. A. shiko\iana Nakai 



Shikoku-toriashi-shoma. Rhizomes sometimes long-creep- 

 ing. Shikoku . 



Var. fujisanensis (Nakai) Ohwi. A fujisanensis Nakai 



Fuji-AKA-sHOMA. Resembles the typical phase, but the 



leaflets firmer, smaller, and doubly incised-toothed, and the 

 petals rather short, 2-2.5 mm. long, nearly as long as the 



stamens, the capsules 3-4 mm. long. ^Mountains; Honshu 



(Sagami, Suruga, and Izu Prov.). 



Var. congesta H. Boiss. A. odontophylla Miq.; A. senan- 



ensis Matsum.; A. pedunculata (H. Boiss.) Nakai Tori- 



ASHi-SHOMA. Resembles the typical phase, but the terminal 

 leaflets ovate to broadly so, 5-12 cm. long, 4-10 cm. wide, and 

 shallowly cordate, the panicles broadly pyramidal, the lower 



branches paniculately compound. Hokkaido, Honshu (n. 



and centr. distr.). Forma bandaica (Honda) Ohwi. A. 



congesta var. bandaica Honda; A. odontophylla var. bandaica 



(Honda) Hara; A. bandaica (Honda) Koidz. Bandai- 



SHOMA. An alpine phase. 



Var. Formosa (Nakai) Ohwi. A. chinensis var. formosa 



Nakai; A. joiinosa (Nakai) Nakai; A. nipponica Nakai 



Hana-chidake-sashi. Leaflets short-acuminate, the panicle 



rachis densely glandular, the petals narrow, 4-6 mm. long. 



Grassy slopes and thickets in mountains; Honshu (Shinano 

 and Etchu Prov.). 



Var. okuyamae (Hara) Ohwi. A. o\uyamae Hara; A. 

 odontophylla var. o\uyamae Hara ^Mikawa-shoma. Re- 

 sembles var. congesta, but the leaflets ovate-cordate, regularly 

 doubly shallow-toothed, the panicle-branches rather distant, 

 not much elongate, the petals narrow, nearly as long as the 

 stamens. Honshu (Mikawa Prov.). 



Var. hachijoensis (Nakai) Ohwi. A. hachijoensis Nakai 

 Hachijo-shoma. Leaflets firmly chartaceous and lus- 

 trous above, the terminal ones broadly to narrowly ovate, often 

 3-Iobed, the cauline leaves usually 3-foliolate, the bracts and 

 bracteoles prominent, 2^(-10) mm. long, the petals white, 

 about 3 mm. long. Honshu (Izu Isls.). 



3. TANAKA.EA Fr. & Sav. Iwa-yuki-no-shita Zoku 



Evergreen dioecious perennial with creeping rhizomes and stolons; radical leaves tufted, petiolate, oblong, irregularly coarse- 

 toothed, firm and thick, flat, exstipulate; stems scapose, erect, usually naked; inflorescence paniculate, the bracts small, linear; 

 flowers white; calyx-tube short, shallow, the lobes 5(4-7); petals absent; stamens 10; ovary nearly superior; styles short, capitel- 

 late; capsules nearly superior; seeds acute at both ends. One species in China and Japan. 



