ホトトギスの花 Japanese toadlily
ホトトギスはルリタテハというチョウの食草で、何年か前にこのチョウを呼ぶために植えたのですが、チョウの幼虫が付きすぎて壊滅状態。それでも根は生き残っていたと見えて、少しずつ増え、今年は花が咲きました。Japanese toadlily, Tricyrtis hirta. This is the food plant for a butterfly called blue admiral, Kaniska canace ishim, and we planted this plant several years ago to attract the butterfly. There appeared, however, too many larvae and toadlily was almost ruined. Their roots, however, must have survived. The plant recovered gradually and this year we could see its flowers again.鳥のホトトギスの胸の模様と斑点の様子が似ているので、ホトトギスという名前が付けられたとか。英語では「toad lily」と言うそうです。華奢で可憐な花なのに、「ヒキガエルのユリ」とは気の毒な・・。Its Japanese name, Hototogisu, is the same as a bird who has a similar dotted pattern on its chest. I feel sorry for its English name, toadlily, since its flowers look rather fragile and dainty.October 2006 西宮 / Nishinomiya, Hyogo