uba lily; Cardiocrinum cordatum
A perennial plant native to Japan, known for its large, heart-shaped leaves and tall stalk of trumpet-shaped flowers. The name literally means 'old woman lily' because the leaves wither by the time it blooms.
Uba lilies grow wild on the forest floors of mountainous areas.
Uba lily flowers bloom in summer.
Standard katakana spelling for this plant name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the plant name is almost always written in katakana.
Written 姥百合, “old-woman lily.” The name refers to the leaves having disappeared by flowering time, with a pun between 葉, “leaf,” and 歯, “tooth,” evoking an old woman without teeth.