2007-05-24

poetic names for plants & animals

How about "oiran bana (Cleome, Spider flower),
not a hanging spider plant, though.
Another is tsukimi-soo... It's bloom is yellow and it opens
around the time the moon rises (the pedals are closed in morning).
This is not as same as the white moon flower commonly found here.
 
The word for tadpoles (but also ladles and musical notes, I think.)
 

Tsukimi-so's common name is also called Yoimachigusa and there
was an old song for it.  The title of the song is Tsukimisou no Uta...
In English they call it Evening Primrose.  In the Kantou area of Japan
they recognize as yellow but obviously there is white as well. 
 
According to Koujien, the tsukimoso bloom at after sunset and time for moon to rise.
Or waiting the evening to come ("Yoimachigusa". 
It is a very romantic flower waiting her lover (the moon) to visit her.
 
Another flower is ????(???????)=???, a flower bloom in heaven
according to Sunsklist and bloom around Higan or early fall. 
This flower has many other names such as
 
Kamisorinaba, sutego-bana or tengai-bana.
 
Kappa or "Namazu ga okotta" for earthquake. 

No comments: