also: るこうそう
noun
cypress vine; cardinal creeper
A flowering vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) with delicate, feathery foliage and small red, pink, or white star-shaped flowers. Often grown as an ornamental annual in Japan.
庭のフェンスにルコウソウが絡まって、赤い花を咲かせている。
The cypress vine is twining around the garden fence and blooming with red flowers.
ルコウソウは夏から秋にかけて星形の花を次々と咲かせる。
The cypress vine produces star-shaped flowers one after another from summer to autumn.
The Japanese name ルコウソウ is a phonetic adaptation of the Chinese name 縷紅草 (lǚhóngcǎo), which describes the plant's thread-like leaves and red flowers. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.