[Picture Book of Wild Grasses] (22) Upland Nuphar / Balsam / Safflower / Water Hyacinth & Water Willow / Heron Orchid

Okakouhone (Upland Nuphar)

The flower stand resembles a kouhone (Nuphar). The color is yellow with a slight reddish tint. The flower stem is long. It has branches. The leaves resemble those of a fatsia but are round. They have serrations. They are glossy. The stalk and the base of the root have a reddish tint. Also, there are pouch-like leaves at the base of the branches. It blooms from the fourth to the fifth month.

* "Kouhone" is the Nuphar. It is a type of aquatic plant. Since "mizukouhone" (marsh-marigold) is listed in Volume 2, please take a look if you like. → "Mizukouhone"👀

Balsam (Housenka)

The shape of the flower is like a bird spreading its wings. The color is red. There are deep red and pure white varieties. There are pink ones. There are purple ones. Also, there are variegated ones. And there are speckled ones. The shape of the leaves is also long, resembling a peach tree. There are large and small shrubs. The height is about three to four shaku. There are also ones that are one to two shaku, or four to five sun. Some have branches, some do not. They are present from the third month until the eighth or ninth month. They grow in mountain villages. The original name is called 'kinpouge' (balsam). Also, in common parlance, it is called 'honenukigusa' (bone-removing grass).

Safflower (Benibana)

The leaf color is light green, and both the pedestal and stem are light in color. In the fourth or fifth month, there are red flowers. The leaves resemble those of a thistle, but they have no serrations. They have thorns. The leaves are dense, have a whisk-like texture, and are stiff. Also, the flowers are red in color, and the buds resemble those of a thistle. They are surrounded by thorns and leaves, and even when the flower opens, it is only slightly. Also, the pistil extends and blooms, opening into five parts. It grows to a height of about three shaku and has many branches. Also, the buds grow attached to the leaves.

* "Sasara arite kowashi" means it has a whisk-like texture and is stiff. * "Ooku" means many.

Water Hyacinth (Mizu-aoi)

Mizunagi, fushoku, sawakikyou. The shape of the leaves resembles that of a podocarpus and is glossy. They emerge by wrapping around the stem. Also, the one whose leaves resemble a hollyhock is called mizu-aoi (water hyacinth). The flowers stand upright, and six petals bloom in a row. There are three types: light-colored, white, and purple. Like the balloon flower, the tips of the flowers are a lapis lazuli color, resembling the Japanese wisteria-bellflower, but smaller, with deep petal serrations, blooming in between. They are present from the sixth to the eighth month.

White Egret Orchid

The white sepals resemble those of the arrowhead plant. The leaves are thin, like bamboo leaves, and emerge by wrapping around the stem. The flowers are snow-white, resembling the shape of a small bird in flight, or perhaps the shape of an egret in flight. It is found near marshes. It is an aquatic plant. It blooms in July and August.

Author's Note: ● indicates characters that could not be deciphered, and □ indicates kanji that cannot be displayed on a computer.
I will update this as I decipher new characters or notice typos and misreadings. For more details, please read the "Self-Introduction / Disclaimer" section. 📖