threeleaf goldthread; savoyane
A small perennial herb of the buttercup family, native to northern regions. The Japanese name ミツバオウレン refers to Coptis trifolia (syn. Coptis groenlandica).
Threeleaf goldthread grows wild in the wetlands of Hokkaido.
The rhizome of threeleaf goldthread is sometimes used medicinally.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the plant is normally written in kana.
The name ミツバオウレン literally means 'three-leaf goldthread', from 三つ葉 (mitsuba, 'three leaves') and 黄蓮 (ōren, 'goldthread', referring to the Coptis genus). The derivation is straightforward from the plant's appearance.