Japanese name: ヤグルマソウ（矢車草） Scientific name:Rodgersia podophylla
[Overview]
A perennial found on the forest floor along valleys, often growing in colonies.
It has creeping rhizomes.
The leaves arise from the base and are large palmately compound leaves with 5 leaflets.
The leaflets are obovate, about 40 cm long and 30 cm wide; the tip is often shallowly 5-lobed and pointed, and the margin has fine teeth.
The leaf stalk reaches 50 cm in length.
A panicle is borne at the tip of a flower stalk 1 m tall, and several leaves grow alternately on the stalk.
The branch tips of the inflorescence are at first coiled downward in a spiral.
The flowers are 0.6–0.8 cm across and have no petals; the white sepals look like petals.
The stamens are long, numbering 8–15.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers sun to partial shade and well-drained, moderately moist soil.
It dislikes strong dryness.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
[Notes]
The name compares the shape of the leaves to the yaguruma (pinwheel) attached to the top of the carp streamers flown for the Tango no Sekku (Boys' Festival).
