Tussilago japonica Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 2: 550; Mant. Pl. 1: 113. 1767; Arnica tussilaginea N. L. Burman; Farfugium grande Lindley; F. japonicum var. formosanum (Hayata) Kitamura; F. japonicum var. nokozanense (Yamamoto) Kitamura; F. kaempferi Bentham; F. tussilagineum (N. L. Burman) Kitamura; F. tussilagineum var. formosanum (Hayata) Kitamura; Ligularia formosana (Hayata) Masamune; L. kaempferi Siebold & Zuccarini; L. nokozanense Yamamoto; L. tussilaginea (N. L. Burman) Makino; L. tussilaginea var. formosana Hayata; Senecio japonicus (Linnaeus) Lessing (1832), not Thunberg (1784); S. kaempferi Candolle, nom. illeg. superfl.; S. tussilagineus (N. L. Burman) Kuntze.

Rhizomes stout, 1-2 cm in diam. Scape to 70 cm tall, 5-6 mm in diam. at base, initially densely shortly pale yellow pilose, glabrescent. Leaves with petiole 15-25 cm, initially densely shortly pale yellow pilose, ± glabrescent, amplexicaul, sheath densely villous inside; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially green, reniform, 9-13 × 11-22 cm, subleathery, initially gray puberulent, glabrescent, base cordate, margin entire or dentate to palmatilobed, apex rounded; sinus ca. 1/3 as long as leaf blade. Stem leaves bracteal, oblong or linear-lanceolate, 1-2 cm. Capitula 2-7 in corymb; peduncles 2-13 cm, puberulent. Involucre campanulate or broadly turbinate, 1.2-1.5 cm, mouth to 1.5 cm in diam., outside puberulent; phyllaries 12-14, oblong, apex acuminate; inner phyllaries broadly membranous at margin. Ray florets 8-12, yellow; lamina oblong or spatulate-oblong, 1.5-2.2 cm × 3-4 mm, apex rounded or acute. Tubular florets numerous, 1-1.2 cm; tube ca. 6 mm. Achenes ca. 7 mm, ribbed, hairy. Pappus white, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Aug to following Mar. 2n = 60.

Forests, grassy slopes, valleys, sometimes cultivated in gardens; low elevations. ?Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, ?Jiangsu, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Japan].