フィールド日記

お茶畑の近くのクヌギ林にニョイスミレが咲いていました。紫の筋がある小型の白い花が特徴です。別名ツボスミレとも言いますが、牧野富太郎博士はツボスミレはタチツボスミレのことを指すので、本種の和名としてニョイスミレを提唱したそうです。ニョイ（如意）とは、僧侶が説法などの際に手に持つ仏具のことで、花と花柄の形が似ていることが由来です。


"ニョイスミレ(nyoisumire)" is in bloom in our SawTooth oak woodland near to the tea field. Its feature is a small white flower that has purple stripes. They were called "ツボスミレ(tsubosumire)" before. However, Dr. Makino Tomitaro(牧野富太郎) suggested that we should call them "ニョイスミレ" because "ツボスミレ" refers to another kind of violet. "ニョイ(nyoi)" in the name is written like this "如意" in Kanji and it means an item that monks have when they speak. The shape of the flower is likened to it.