Clintonia udensis Trautv. & C.A.Mey. in Middendorff, Reise Sibir 1(Theil 2, Bot. Lief. 3): 92, t. 30 (1856) var. alpina (Kunth ex Baker) H.Hara, J. Jap. Bot. 38: 72 (1963).

Clintonia alpina Kunth ex Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 585 (1875); Clintonia udensis subsp. alpina (Kunth ex Baker) Kitam.; Smilacina alpina Royle, nom. nud.

Perennial herbs, upto 90 cm, Rhizomes stiff, covered with fibrous sheaths. Scapes leafless, 10–35 cm densely pubescent, covered with small white hairs. Leaves 3–5, ± petiolate, simple, elliptic-ovovate or oblanceolate, 8–20 × 3–10 cm, elongates by fruiting to 35 cm, apex cuspidate or acuminate, margins usually pubescent when young, veins many, parallel. Inflorescences racemose or umbellate, 2–12-flowered; bracts 3.5–5 × 1.2–2.5 mm, caducous. Flowers small, bisexual, campanulate, slightly drooping; pedicel shorter when flowering, 0.4–1 cm, elongates become longer, curving upward when fruiting 4–5 cm, densely white pubescent. Tepals whitish or rarely bluish, streaked mauve, oblong, equal, 0.8–1.2 × 2–4 mm, base slightly narrow. Stamens inserted at base of tepals; filaments filiform, 3–6 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm. Ovary ellipsoid, 3–4 mm; style 2–4 mm, stigma shortly 3-lobed. Berries blakish blue, globose or ellipsoid, 6–8 × 6–8 mm, erect. Seeds many, globose.

Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, Assam–Burma, and E Asia.

Altitudinal range: 1600–4100 m.

Ecology: Sparse forests, forest margins, thickets, under tree shades.

Flowering: May–July. Fruiting: July–November.

Young leaves and shoots of this species are consumed as food.