Stachys is one of the largest genera in the flowering plant family Lamiaceae. Estimates of the number of species in the genus vary from about 300, to about 450. Stachys japonica, Herbs annual or biennial. Taproots with dense, fibrous rootlets. Stems erect, 30-120 cm, retrorse strigose, nodes and angles densely strigose. Petiole of stem leaves 0.5-3 cm, narrowly winged at apex; lower stem leaf blades ovate, base broadly cuneate, 3-palmatipartite; lobes oblong-rhombic to ovate, 2.5-6 × 1.5-4 cm, pinnately divided, adaxially strigose, abaxially pilose, glandular; mid stem leaf blade rhombic, palmatipartite, lobes oblong-linear, base narrow cuneate. Verticillasters 8-15-flowered, 2-2.5 cm in diam.; floral leaves subsessile, linear to linear-lanceolate, 3-12 × 2-8 mm, entire or dentate; bracteoles spiny, shorter than calyx, ca. 5 mm, appressed puberulent. Flowers sessile.