The "Nohara-azami" (Cirsium tanakae) belongs to Asteraceae (the Aster family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed northward from Chubu district to Tohoku district of Honshu in Japan. This herb grows in fields and barrens and can reach 40-100 cm in height. The leaves are deep pinnately with spine tips. The basal leaves remain until flowering time. The 2-3 magenta flower-heads bloom upright from August to October. The bracts are bell-shaped, not sticky and the phyllaries are slightly recurved.