Chickweed (common)

Japanese: ハコベ(繁縷) - ハコベ（英語表記）(common) chickweed

A weed of the Caryophyllaceae family commonly found on roadsides and in fields, it is one of the seven herbs of spring (illustration). As the plant is soft and has no peculiar smell, it is widely used as food for small birds, and is also known as chickweed or sparrowweed, which reflects its English name. The stem branches at the base, crawls along the ground, is about 30 cm long, and has soft hairs on one side. The leaves are opposite, oval, and pointed at the tip. From March to June, small flowers about 5 mm in diameter grow in a cyme at the end of the stem. There are five white petals, but because they are deeply bisected, they appear to have ten petals.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

道端や畑などにごく普通にみられるナデシコ科の雑草で，春の七草の一つ（イラスト）。全体が柔らかくてくせがないので，小鳥などの餌として広く親しまれ，別名をヒヨコグサとかスズメグサといい，英名はこのことを示している。茎は基部で分枝して地面をはい，長さ30cm前後で片面に柔らかな毛がある。葉は対生し，卵形で先はとがる。3～6月，茎の先の集散花序に直径約5mmの小さな花をつける。花弁は白色で5枚あるが，深く2裂するため，10枚の花弁をもつように見える。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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