フィールド日記

ヒノキ林の林縁でケキツネノボタンが咲いていました。葉が少しボタンの葉に似ていますが、花は全く似ていません。和名のキツネノボタンは、葉がボタンに似ているにもかかわらず花は全く異なるという事実が、キツネが人を化かすイメージと重ねられて名付けられたと考えられます。


I found "ケキツネノボタン(kekitsunenobotan)" blooming on the edge of the Japanese cypress woodland. Their leaves looks a little similar to "ボタン(botan)" plants but their flowers are totally different. "キツネ" in the name means "fox". And, in Japan, fox has an image that they trick people. It is because they have leaves that resemble the "ボタン(botan)" plant but their flowers don't resemble. This reminds people of a fox's image that foxes trick people. That's why they are called "ケキツネノボタン(kekitsunenobotan)".