Japanese name: ゴジアオイ（午時葵） Scientific name:Cistus albidus
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub about 1 m tall.
The whole plant is densely covered with stellate hairs.
The leaves are simple and opposite, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 2–8 cm long and 1.5–3 cm wide.
The upper surface of the leaf is velvety and tinged with grayish white, and the leaf margin curls under toward the back.
Three leaf veins are conspicuous on each leaf.
There is no leaf stalk.
The flowers are about 4–6 cm across, with 5 petals in pale purplish red to pale red, tinged with yellow at the base.
The petals are much wrinkled and wavy.
The flowers open around noon on sunny days and wither by evening.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings, layering or seed.
Grow it in sunny, well-drained, sandy, dry soil.
It prefers alkaline soil.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so special care is needed especially in summer.
[Notes]
The Japanese name Umadoki (午時, the time when the sun crosses the meridian) comes from the fact that it blooms from around noon.
