ツユクサ（露草）/ Tsuyukusa; Asiatic dayflower

今日は梅雨らしい雨がしとしと降っています。この時期、雨に濡れながら小さな花を咲かせているツユクサ。
It is drizzling today in the middle of rainy season. I find flowers of Tsuyukusa; Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) .

梅雨の時期に咲くのでツユクサと呼ばれるのかと思っていましたが、朝開いた花が昼には消えてしまう、朝露のように儚い花なので露草と呼ばれているのだそうです。

Commelina communis/Asiatic dayflower/ツユクサ

Tsuyu in Japanese has two meaning with different Chinese character, one is a rainy season and another is a dew or a morning dew. I was thinking a “tsuyu” in tsuyukusa means the rainy season but learn it comes meaning of dew since the flower blooms morning but will be disappeared in day time like a morning dew. And a “kusa” means grass in Japanese.

花弁の青い色が衣服に着きやすいので、万葉の頃は着き草と呼ばれ、そのツキクサがなまって露草になったとの説もあるそうですが、朝露の儚さの説のほうが素敵ですね。なお、露草からとる染料も、すぐに消えてしまうので、下絵用に使われるそうです。いずれにしても儚いイメージがあり、万葉の頃からも歌に詠われた日本原産の花です。

It is another story of the name of the plant that it was called a “tsukikusa” in ancient time since more than 1300 years ago and name could be changed as tsuyukusa, as color of flower can be easily dyed and “tsuku” has meaning of attached or dyed. But I would like meaning of a morning dew of fugacious image for this flower much more. By the way, a dye made from this flower vanished soon and it is used only for under-drawing. Such vulnerable or tentative image has been loved by Japanese since ancient Manyo era and often expressed in Japanse tanka poem.

ツユクサの仲間で、明治時代以降アメリカ大陸から日本に導入された、ムラサキツユクサとトキワツユクサがあります。こちらも1日で萎れる1日花ですが、花も大きく、日本原産の露草のような儚さはそれほど感じられないですね。今日のようなしっとりした日本の雨には日本の露草が似合うように思います。

Tradescantia ohiensis/Bluejacket/ムラサキツユクサ

Tradescantia fluminensis/Wandering jew/トキワツユクサ

We can find similar flowers under same group such as bluejacket (Tradescantia ohiensis) (Japanese name; murasaki tsuyukusa) and wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) (Japanese name; tokiwa tsuyukusa) they were introduced from American continental more than 100 years ago. They are also one-day flower but they have larger flower and I can not feel fugacious image from them. I can feel Japanese tsuyukusa is much harmonized with drizzling rain such as today.

日本ブログ村のバナーもポチッとしていただければ嬉しいです。
I would like to appreciate your click on banners below.

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花の名前などで色の変わったところをクリックすれば、別のホームページにリンクして、もう少し詳しいデータや写真が見られます。You can find more data or pictures in my another website by clicking name of flowers in changed color.

花の写真を別のホームページ　「Khaaw のタイと日本の花図鑑」にも掲載しています。ホームページのデザインも少しだけ変えました、ぜひご覧ください。　You can link to Khaaw's flower picture book from here and find picture of many flowers in Japan and Thai.

https://khaawsflowerpicture.wordpress.com/

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