Japanese name: ワダソウ（和田草） Scientific name:Pseudostellaria heterophylla
[Overview]
A perennial 10–20 cm tall, found in deciduous forests from hills to mountains.
The main root is thickened into a spindle shape and fleshy.
The stem is erect and unbranched, with two rows of short hairs.
The leaves are simple and opposite, but the upper two pairs sit close together and appear to be whorled.
The upper leaves are broadly ovate to rhombic-ovate, 2–6 cm long and 0.8–2 cm wide; the lower leaves are linear-spatulate to elliptic, 3–6 cm long.
The underside of the leaf has sparse hairs on the midrib, and the leaf margin is wavy.
The flowers are borne singly in the axils of the upper leaves, or 2–10 in umbel-like inflorescences, and are white, 5-petaled and 1 cm across.
The petal tips are shallowly notched.
The flower stalk is 1–2 cm long and densely covered with soft hairs.
There are 10 stamens, and the anthers are reddish brown.
Cleistogamous flowers are borne in the axils of the lower leaves.
The fruit is an ovoid capsule.
[Notes]
The Japanese name comes from the type locality, Wada Pass in Nagano.
