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"Ezo-ruri-so" (Mertensia pterocarpa var. yezoensis) belongs to Boraginaceae (the Borage family). It is a perennial herb that is endemic to Japan and is found in the central highlands of Hokkaido, the Yubari Mountains, and the Hidaka Mountains. It grows on high alpine cliffs, in rocky gravels and grasslands, and grows 15-40 cm tall. The stems and leaves are pale green with a whitish powdery appearance. The cauline leaves are ovate to elliptic, alternate, and moderately enfold the stem. Around July to August, purple-blue to blue-red flowers bloom in cymes at the end of the stem. The mother species is "Chishima-ruri-so" (Mertensia pterocarpa var. pterocarpa), which is distributed in the southern Kuril Islands.
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