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"Uwabami-so" (Elatostema umbellatum var. majus) belongs to Urticaceae (the Nettle family). It is a perennial herb that is native to all over Japan, the Korean Peninsula and China. This herb grows in montane wet slopes, and forms a clump, and it can reach 30-40 cm in height. It is dioecious. The leaves are irregular oblong with coarsely-toothed edges. The flowers come in April through September. It flowers from April to September, with short stalks on the male inflorescences and none on the female inflorescences. In the fall, the nodes of the stem swell to form bulbils, which fall to the ground and multiply. Its Japanese name comes from the fact that it grows in places where huge snakes are likely to be found. In the Tohoku region, it is called "mizu" and is used as a wild vegetable. In Chinese, it is called "楼梯草" (lou ti cao).
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