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The "Suzu-saiko" (Cynanchum paniculatum) belongs to Asclepiadaceae (the Milkweed family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed throughout Japan, as well as in Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China, and the Russian Far East. It grows in sunny grasslands and reaches a height of 40 to 80 cm. The stems are stiff and slender, with almost no branching. The leaves are lanceolate to linear, arranged oppositely, and have a stiff, papery texture. They also bend at the midrib, forming a V-shape. From around May to July, it produces inflorescences at the tips of the stems and at the upper nodes, blooming at night with flowers ranging in color from yellow to yellow-green to brown. The corolla lobes are ovate, and the corona is deeply lobed into five parts. The fruit is a lanceolate capsule. Its Japanese name is derived from its resemblance to "Mishima-saiko" (Bupleurum scorzoneraefolium var. stenophyllum) and the bell-like shape of its buds. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "徐長卿", and "徐長卿" (xu chang qing) in Chinese. It is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List.
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