Himekusu (Dumbaria villosa) - Himekusu (English spelling) Dunbaria villosa (Thunb.) Makino

Japanese: ヒメクズ(姫葛) - ヒメクズ（英語表記）Dunbaria villosa (Thunb.) Makino

It is a climbing perennial plant of the legume family that grows in sunny grasslands and is related to the genus Tankirimame (illustration). It is also known as Noazuki (wild azuki bean). Both Japanese names are said to be based on the association of the leaves with kudzu or azuki beans, due to their leaf shape. The plant is covered with short, velvety hairs. The leaves are compound and alternate, with three leaflets. The leaflets are rounded diamond-shaped, slightly elongated at the tips, 1-3 cm long, and have many small reddish-brown glandular dots on the underside. The flowering season is August to September. Racemes grow from the leaf axils and produce 3-5 butterfly-shaped flowers.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

日当りのよい草地に生えるマメ科のつる性多年草で，タンキリマメ属に類縁がある（イラスト）。別名をノアズキ(野小豆)という。和名はともに葉の形からのクズあるいはアズキへの連想に基づくという。全体にビロード状の短い毛がある。葉は3枚の小葉をもつ複葉で互生する。小葉は丸みのあるひし形で先が少し長く伸びており，長さ1～3cm，裏面に小さな赤褐色の腺点が多い。花期は8～9月。葉腋（ようえき）から総状花序を伸ばし，3～5個の蝶形花をつける。

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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