Philipp Franz von Siebold
It was first described by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1846. Bavarian physician and naturalist Siebold spent time in Japan between 1823 and 1829. Back in Germany with his collections, he was assisted by Zuccarini, professor of botany at the University of Munich to describe this plant under its original name of "Malouetia asiatica" (1846).