|
"Sagi-goke" (Mazus miquelii) belongs to Scrophulariaceae (the Figwort family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed widely westward from Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan, as well as Taiwan and China. This herb grows in rice field linches and wettish fields, and can reach 5-15 cm in height. The plant spreads by creeping rhizomes. The pale purple to magenta flowers bloom in April and May. Its Japanese name is derived from the shape of its flowers, which resemble the head of a "heron", and the way its stems and leaves spread out on the ground, which resemble "moss". In Taiwanese, it is called "葡莖通泉草", and in Chinese, "匍茎通泉草" (pu jing tong quan cao).
|