also: とこう
noun
Asarum nipponicum; wild ginger species
A specific species of wild ginger native to Japan. The name is usually written in katakana as カンアオイ.
カンアオイは日本の山地に自生する多年草です。
Kan-aoi is a perennial plant that grows wild in the mountains of Japan.
The name カンアオイ (寒葵) literally means 'cold hollyhock', referring to its evergreen leaves that resemble those of the hollyhock and its ability to withstand cold. The alternate reading とこう for 杜衡 is of Chinese origin.