noun
European waterclover; pepperwort; water shamrock
A small aquatic fern with four-leaf clover-like leaves, native to Europe and Asia. Scientific name: Marsilea quadrifolia. In Japanese, it is typically written in katakana.
デンジソウは水田や湿地に生えるシダ植物です。
The European waterclover is a fern that grows in rice paddies and wetlands.
四つ葉のようなデンジソウの葉は、幸運のシンボルとしても知られています。
The four-leaf-like leaves of the water shamrock are also known as a symbol of good luck.
The Japanese name デンジソウ (田字草) literally means 'field character grass', from the shape of the leaves resembling the kanji 田 (rice field). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name is descriptive of the plant's appearance.