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The "Shuro-so" (Veratrum maackii var. reymondianum) belongs to Liliaceae (the Lily family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed from southern Hokkaido to Honshu, as well as parts of Shikoku and Kyushu. It grows under the forest canopy in mountainous areas and reaches a height of 50 to 100 cm. The lower part of the stem is covered with blackish-brown bristly hairs. The leaves are oblong to broadly oblanceolate, 6 to 30 cm long, with parallel veins and longitudinal wrinkles. From around June to August, it produces a long panicle at the stem apex, bursting with dark purplish-brown flowers. The flowers are about 1 cm in diameter and have six perianth segments. The fruit is an elliptical capsule.
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