This variety of the
species H.
longipes is from Honshu Island in
Japan. It is a
small size plant about 8 inches high with a spread of
around 23 inches. The medium green foliage is narrowly
elliptic to ovate shape and slightly shiny on top with
purple red petioles. Pale purple flowers bloom in
September.
An article by
Hajime Sugata of Japan in
The
Hosta Journal (1994 Vol. 25 No. 2) states that "Like
that of H. hypoleuca,
the natural habitat of H. longipes var. lancea
is restricted to the small area around the wet rocks of
the main Tenryu River in Shizuoka Pref. That area ranges
from the north of Tatsuyama Village, Iwata County, to
near Sakuma Station south of Sakuma Dam. Tenryu River
has two branches, Kita River and Miusakubo River, where
H. longipes var. lancea is not found but
H. hypoleuca is found. It is interesting that the
two species are clearly separated by the main river and
the two branches.
H. longipes var. lancea usually blooms in
late autumn, but it occasionally blooms earlier in some
areas. H.
tortifrons and H.
'Koryu'
are considered as sports of
H. longipes var.
lancea. Another sport, a white-backed form, is
found."
Mikiko Lockwood in an article on The Hosta Library titled,
A Little About Japanese Hosta Terms defines the term koryu or Kouryu as a raised ridge along the center
of a leaf. |