also: みぞはぎ
Lythrum anceps; loosestrife
A perennial herb of the loosestrife family, native to Japan. Often seen in wetlands and used in the Bon festival as a decorative plant. The reading みそはぎ is more common than みぞはぎ.
Lythrum anceps is offered on the Buddhist altar during the Bon festival.
Purple flowers of Lythrum anceps were blooming in the wetland.
Hiragana spelling; also common for plant names.
Alternate kanji spelling using 溝 (ditch), possibly from its habitat. Rare in modern writing.
Kanji spelling using 禊 (purification) and 萩 (bush clover), reflecting its use in the Bon festival. Rare in modern writing.
Katakana spelling for the alternate reading みぞはぎ.
Hiragana spelling for the alternate reading みぞはぎ.
Usually explained as a contraction of 禊萩, from 禊 “purification rite” and 萩, reflecting the plant’s use in Bon-period purification observances; association with 溝 “ditch” has also been proposed from its wetland habitat.