Japanese name: オトコエシ（男郎花） Scientific name:Patrinia villosa
[Overview]
A perennial 60–100 cm tall, growing in sunny meadows in the mountains.
The whole plant has a distinctive odor, and even the water in a vase smells after the stems have been arranged.
It sends out long runners and forms new plantlets at their tips.
The stem is erect and hard, covered with coarse hairs, and branches in the upper part.
Leaves are simple and opposite, deeply pinnately divided or with notched, toothed margins.
Cymes at the stem tips bear many flowers.
The flowers are white, 4 mm across; the corolla is 5-lobed and there are 4 stamens.
The fruit is obovate, 2–3 mm long, and has wings.
[Uses]
Under the name haisho, it is used as a crude drug.
The young shoots and leaves can be eaten after their bitterness is removed.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
As long as the site is sunny and well drained, it is not particular about soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes extremely dry.
Even for potted plants, a small amount of slow-release fertilizer in spring is enough.
Damping-off can occur.
