A morphological and molecular survey was conducted to determine the taxonomic status of Saussurea maximowiczii var. triceps on Jejudo Island. Although it tends to be smaller than S. maximowiczii with regard to typical quantitative characters of vegetative organs, including the plant height and leaf size, these two taxa cannot be distinguished from each other based on major reproductive characters, including the involucre and florets. Molecular data support the contention that S. triceps and S. maximowiczii are monophyletic taxa. Saussurea maximowiczii var. triceps is found to be an ecological phenotype of S. maximowiczii that has adapted particularly to the windy highlands of Hallasan Mountain on Jejudo Island.