Perennial herb with thickened roots from a short rhizome. Inflorescence to 65 cm, floral bracts greenish-white. Leaves ovate, 20-28 cm long, 15-24 cm wide, leaf stalks long, channelled, winged, not spotted, leaf apex shortly acute, base rounded, 6-9 vein pairs, bright yellow-green, shiny. Flowers white, anthers yellow; late summer-autumn. Syn. H. elata hort.

China and Japan.

var. grandiflora Lem. Leaves generally larger and narrower than var. plantaginea. Syn. H. grandiflora Siebold & Zucc.

H. crispula Maek., Sazanami-gibo-shi from Japan is a perennial herb with thickened roots from a short rhizome. Inflorescence to 75 cm, floral bracts bright green. Leaves ovate, to 18-25 cm long, 10-15 cm wide, undulate, leaf stalks deeply grooved, not spotted, apex tapering, twisted, base rounded, 7-9 vein pairs, olive green, margins white, shiny beneath. Flowers pale violet; anthers yellow; summer.

H. montana Maek., Oba-gibo-shi from Japan is a perennial herb with thickened roots from a short rhizome. Inflorescence to 60 cm, floral bracts green and purple. Leaves broadly ovate to heart-shaped, 10-17 cm long, 5-9 cm wide, leaf stalks long, channelled, purple spotted, apex and base tapering, 5-6 vein pairs, dark green, shiny. Flowers mauve to bluish purple; summer-autumn. Syn. H. elata Hyl.

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Hostaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.