Leontopodium japonicum

Family	Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Scientific name	Leontopodium japonicum Miquel
Synonyms	Leontopodium japonicum Miquel forma shiroumense (Nakai ex Kitamura) Ohwi; Leontopodium japonicum Miquel var. shiroumense Nakai ex Kitamura
Common name	(Japanese common name) usu-yuki-sou [pale snow weed], mine usu-yuki-sou [mountain pale snow weed]
	(English common name) none
Distribution	(Japan) Hokkaido (Mt. Washibetsu), Honshu, Shikoku (Mt. Ishidzuchi), Kyushu (Mt. Shiraiwa)
	(Other nations) Korea, China
Chromosomal number	2n=26 (2x)
Description	Plants electing 20-55cm tall. Leaves 4-6.5cm long, 5-14mm wide. Flowers head 4-5mm, flowering in July to October. Perennial plants.
Reference	Leontopodium japonicum Miq.
	Remedies (US Patent 20060039998)
Note	Native to Japan.
	Many Japanese authors have described that ordinary type usu-yuki-sou (Leontopodium japonicum Miquel) occyrs in lowland to high mountains, and alpine type is mine-usu-yuki-sou (Leontopodium japonicum Miquel var. shiroumense Nakai ex Kitamura (syn. Leontopodium japonicum Miquel forma shiroumense (Nakai ex Kitamura) Ohwi)).
	Photos below are those of plants which I found in Utsukushigahara Highland (altitude ca. 2,000m). The species should be alpine type, because altitude 2,000m in Central region of Japan is alpine area. But I didn't discovered any obvious defference from ordinary type in the plants which I observed. In addition, there is no evidence which may show a diference of DNA sequence or amino-acid sequence between ordinary type and alpine type. Therefore I think that distinction between usu-yuki-sou (ordinary tipe) and mine-usu-yuki-sou (alpine type) has been based on a kind of philosohpical or nominal difference rather than a scientific or physical defference.

July 2008 at Utsukushigahara Highland	July 2008 at Utsukushigahara Highland	July 2008 at Utsukushigahara Highland

July 2008 at Utsukushigahara Highland	July 2008 at Utsukushigahara Highland