Tsumekusa (Claw grass) - Tsumekusa (English spelling) Sagina japonica

Japanese: ツメクサ(爪草) - ツメクサ（英語表記）Sagina japonica

It is an annual or biennial plant of the Caryophyllaceae family. It is a small weed commonly found in gardens and roadsides throughout Japan, and is widely distributed from the temperate to subtropical regions of East Asia. The stems branch vigorously from the bottom and grow in clusters, 5-10 cm tall, green, linear, sharply pointed at the tip, 7-15 mm long, and two opposite leaves connected at the base by a membranous membrane that forms a short sheath. From spring to summer, long stalks emerge from the axils at the top of the stem, and small white five-petaled flowers bloom one after another. There are 5-10 stamens and five styles on the pistils. The name comes from the fact that the leaves resemble bird claws. The slightly larger Shore Claw S. maxima , a plant of the same genus, can also be found on the coasts and inland in dry areas of various places. The leaves are also wider than those of this species.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ナデシコ科の一年草または二年草。日本全土の庭や路傍に普通に生える小さな雑草で，東アジアの温帯から亜熱帯にかけて広く分布する。茎は下部から盛んに分枝して群生し，高さ5～10cmで緑色をし，葉は線形，先端は鋭くとがり長さ7～15mm，対生する2葉の基部は膜状でつながり，短い鞘になっている。春から夏にかけて，茎の上部の葉腋から長い柄を出し，白色で5弁の小花を次々に咲かせる。おしべは5～10本，めしべの花柱は5個ある。葉の形が鳥の爪に似ていることからこの名がある。同属の植物でやや大きなハマツメクサ S. maximaも各地の海岸や内陸の乾いた場所にみられる。本種に比べて葉の幅も広い。

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