Asiatic dayflower; Commelina communis
A common annual plant with small blue flowers, often found in moist shady places. Also known as 露草 (つゆくさ).
See also: ツユクサ
dayflower blue dye
A traditional blue dye extracted from the petals of the Asiatic dayflower, used in painting and textiles.
The blue in ukiyo-e prints was made from dayflower blue dye.
Asiatic dayflowers were blooming by the roadside.
spiderwort-dyed paper; paper dyed with spiderwort for sketching in dyeing
Standard kanji spelling for the plant and the dye.
Compound of 青 (あお, 'blue') and 花 (はな, 'flower'), with rendaku voicing of はな to ばな. The name directly describes the plant's blue flowers.