They are a perennial evergreen plant that ordinarily grows at the woodland paths in the countryside (Perennial plant takes several years to grow). They bear green leaves even in the winter, which is the reason for their name. Also, as they can be seen mainly in the mountain district in Kanto region, they have another name ‘kooyana var. nipponica’ (Kantou-Kan-aoi). The leaf is a wide egged-shaped about 6 to 10 cm long, have a long stalk, which has white patterns along the leaf veins on the surface. The flower is about 2 cm long in diameter. The flower consists of 3 roundish triangular sepals about 1 cm long as if they are the flower petals. The flower is tinged with dark purple like withered leaves, only 1 grows at the leafstalk at the closest position from the ground, and then produces the seeds out when matured and collapsed. The seeds have strophiole (Synching: soft substance attaching to the seeds), which is ants’ feed, thus, the ants carry the seeds away.

●Season October to about April
●Height about 10 cm
●Place Trail 1, Trail 4, Mt.Inari, Ura-Takao, Minami-Takao