フィールド日記
2023.07.28
ニガクサ
ニガクサが咲いています。湿った明るい草地に生えるシソ科の植物です。シソ科の花は唇のように花びらが上下２つに分かれた唇形花をもつものが多いですが、本種は上側の花びらが極端に小さいため、下側の花びらしかないように見えます。和名は苦草ですが、茎や葉は特に苦くはないそうです。
"Nigakusa (ニガクサ)" plants are in bloom. They belong to the mint family and grow in wet sunny grass fields. Plants that belong to the mint family usually have labiate flowers, which have the petals divided into higher and lower parts that look like lips. However, regarding this species, the higher parts of the petals are too small, so they seem to have only the lower parts of the petals. Their name means "bitter grass", but their stems and leaves actually don't taste bitter.
