＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・植物の名前は漢字で書くほうが想像しやすく、名前の由来もわかる！
After World War II, when using animal and plant names as “scientific names,” the use of katakana became the norm, resulting in a lack of kanji (Chinese character) representations of animal and plant names.
However, it’s interesting to find that the origins of some animal and plant names, which are unclear in katakana, become much clearer when written in kanji.
Previously, in an article titled “Spartan Education and Athenian Education,” I introduced examples such as “Asebi（アセビ）” (Japanese Andromeda) meaning “horse-dew tree（「馬酔木」）” and “Mamako-no-shirinugui（ママコノシリヌグイ）” (Stepchild’s Butt Wiper)（継子の尻拭い）. This time, I’ll introduce some other interesting examples.
Having previously written an article on “animal names,” this time I’ll introduce plant names.
1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Katakana, Kanji, and Hiragana Notation
(1) Katakana Notation
Impression: Academic, specialized
Advantages: Names can be distinguished from the surrounding text. Anyone can read it. Advantages: Allows for a unified spelling
Disadvantages: The origin of the name is difficult to understand
(2) Kanji spelling
Impression: Literary, archaic
Advantages: Easy to imagine the origin of the name
Disadvantages: Many difficult-to-read kanji are used. Names of plants and animals of Ainu origin or foreign language origins cannot be directly written in kanji.
(3) Hiragana spelling
Impression: Colloquial, soft impression
Advantages: Anyone can read it
Disadvantages: Difficult to distinguish from the surrounding text. The origin of the name is difficult to understand
2. Plant names whose kanji spellings are surprisingly unknown
(1) Atsumorisou（敦盛草） and Kumagaisou（熊谷草）(Cypripedium macranthos)
Cypripedium macranthos is a perennial herb belonging to the Cypripedium genus of the orchid family, growing in mountain grasslands. It blooms in early summer with pale pink flowers that have a pouch-shaped labellum.
The name comes from the resemblance of the flower’s pouch-shaped labellum to the horo (a type of cloak worn on the back) carried by Taira no Atsumori (1169-1184).
In kanji, it is written as “敦盛草”.
This naming is a counterpart to that of Cypripedium macranthos (Kumagaisou「熊谷草」, pictured below), another species of Cypripedium genus named after Kumagai Naozane (1141-1207).
The story of Taira no Atsumori and Kumagai Naozane in “The Tale of the Heike” goes like this:
Taira no Atsumori, a member of the Taira clan, participated in the Battle of Ichinotani at the age of 15. When the Taira forces were ambushed by the Minamoto and at a disadvantage, Atsumori attempted to escape on horseback to a ship at sea. Kumagai Naozane, who was searching for the enemy general, called out to him, “It is cowardly to show your back to the enemy. Return!”
When Atsumori turned back, Naozane grabbed him from his horse and, as he lifted his helmet to behead him, hesitated upon seeing a beautiful young man the same age as his own son, Naoie. Naozane, wanting to spare Atsumori, asked for his name.
However, Atsumori replied, “You are a worthy enemy for me. Take my head and ask someone for my name without telling me. Take my head quickly.” With tears in his eyes, Naozane beheaded Atsumori.
This incident is said to have strengthened Naozane’s resolve to become a monk.
(2) Toranoo（虎の尾）
The Japanese name for this flower, “Toranoo（虎の尾）,” is written with the kanji characters for “tiger’s tail.” Indeed, the flowers bloom in clusters that form elegant curves, resembling a tiger’s tail.
(3)Ooinunohuguri（オオイヌノフグリ） Veronica persica
The large-flowered speedwell (Veronica persica) is a small, pretty flower commonly seen along field edges and roadsides, but its Japanese name is written with the kanji characters for “large dog’s scrotum（「大犬の陰嚢」）.” It resembles a smaller version of the currently popular nemophila.
The name comes from the fact that the shape of its fruit resembles a male dog’s scrotum（雄犬の「ふぐり（陰嚢）」）.
Large-flowered speedwell (Veronica persica) is larger than the common speedwell（「イヌノフグリ（犬の陰嚢）」） (Veronica polita) (see image below), hence its name.
(4) Shirotsumekusa(白詰草) White clover
White clover (Trifolium repens) is written as “白詰草” in kanji. This name originates from the fact that it was used as packing material (tsumekusa) in glass products presented as a gift from the Netherlands in 1846.
In Japan, it is a naturalized plant that was introduced during the Meiji era as livestock feed and has since become wild.
As an aside, white clover, along with Campanula punctata, bindweed, and Prunella vulgaris, is also known as “amefuribana” (rain-falling flower). “Amefuribana” refers to “flowers that are said to bring rain when picked.” Since these flowers bloom during the rainy season, they were likely named as “flowers that bloom beautifully in the rain.”
(5) Hotarubukuro（蛍袋） Campanula punctata
he Japanese bellflower (Campanula punctata) is a perennial plant belonging to the bellflower family, and it blooms with large, bell-shaped flowers around the start of the rainy season.
The Japanese name for this plant is written with the kanji characters for “firefly bag（蛍袋）.” While this is direct and easy to understand, the origin of this name is said to be that in the past, people played with fireflies by putting them inside the flowers.
Another theory suggests that the name comes from “firefly” (「火垂る（ほたる）」hotaru). This is because the flower resembles a lantern held in the hand, hence the name “firefly bag（「火垂る袋」）.”
Incidentally, the name of the insect, the firefly, is also said to have originated from “firefly (「火垂る（ほたる）」hotaru).”
(6) Oobako（大葉子/車前草）Plantain
Plantain (Oobako) is written in kanji as “大葉子” or “車前草”. It’s a short grass commonly seen along roadsides, and it thrives in ruts where people and vehicles (ox carts and horse-drawn carriages) frequently pass. Its name (車前草) comes from its resistance to being trampled.
(7) Doudan Tsutsuji（灯台躑躅/満天星）Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Ericaceae family, and it produces many small, white, bell-shaped flowers from early April to mid-May. Its autumn foliage is also very beautiful.
In kanji, it is written as “灯台躑躅” or “満天星”.
“Dōdan” comes from the fact that its branching pattern resembles the legs of a lighthouse (a type of lighthouse used for nighttime illumination in the past), and it is derived from “tōdai” (lighthouse).
The notation “満天星” is a direct adoption of the Chinese name, applied to the Japanese reading of Dōdan-tsutsuji.
(8) Seitaka Awadachisou（背高泡立草）Tall Goldenrod
Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Solidago in the Asteraceae family. It grows in clusters in riverbeds and vacant lots, reaching a height of 1 to 2.5 meters.
Its Japanese name is written in kanji as “背高泡立草” (Seitaka Awadachisou).
The “Seitaka（背高）” part refers to its tall stature, while “Awadachi（泡立）” is said to come from the fluffy, cottony appearance of its seeds (see image below), which resembles foam.
There is also a theory that the way the flowers grow resembles bubbles.