Chionographis japonica

Family	Melanthiaceae (also placed in Liliaceae)
Tribe	Heloniadeae
Scientific name	Chionographis japonica (Willdenow) Maximowicz
Synonyms	Chionographis koreana Wang & Tang; Chionographis lutea (Thunberg) Baillon; Melanthium japonicum Willdenow; Melanthium luteum Thunberg
Common name	(Japanese common name) shira-ito-sou (シライトソウ, 白糸草 [meaning: white yarn weed])
	(English common name) none
Distribution	(Japan) Honshu (west of Kanto region in Pacific Ocean side; west of Hokuriku region in Japan Sea side), Shikoku, Kyushu
	(Other nations) Korea
Habitat	Mountane forest
Chromosomal number	2n=24
Description	Leaves 8-14cm long, non hair. Scapes electing 25-65cm tall with linea small leaves, non hair. Flowers 6 white perianths eanch 7-9mm long, stamens ca. 1mm long, flowering in May to June. Fruits 3-4mm long, seeds 2.5-3mm long. Perennial plants.
Reference	Chionographis japonica Maxim.
	Morphological and Chromosomal Variations in Chionographis japonica MAXIM.
	Food beverage or feed for the promotion of osteogenesis comprising umbelliferae, liliaceae or compositae plant species (US Patent 20080008773)
	Remedies (US Patent 20060039998)
	Remedies (European Patent EP1563841/2005)
Note	There are many varieties of this species in Japan. Many Japanese authors have described that there are some local varieties, for instance, Chionographis hisauchiana (Okuyama) N. Tanaka subsp. hisauchiana (syn. Chionographis japonica (Willdenow) Maximowicz subsp. hisauchiana (Okuyama) H. Hara; Chionographis japonica (Willdenow) Maximowicz var. hisauchiana Okuyama) which occurs in Kanto region, Chionographis hisauchiana (Okuyama) N. Tanaka subsp. minoensis (H. Hara) N. Tanaka (syn. Chionographis japonica (Willdenow) Maximowicz subsp. minoensis (H. Hara) H. Hara; Chionographis japonica (Willdenow) Maximowicz var. minoensis H. Hara) which occurs in Gifu Prefecture and so on..

May 2008 at Kyoto Botanical Garden	May 2008 at Kyoto Botanical Garden	May 2008 at Kyoto Botanical Garden