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.