コウリンタンポポ

Meanings

orange hawkweed; fox-and-cubs

usually written using kana alone

A perennial flowering plant with orange-red flowers, native to Europe but naturalized in Japan. Scientific name: Pilosella aurantiaca (syn. Hieracium aurantiacum).

コウリンタンポポは北ほっ海かい道どうの道みち端ばたでよく見みかける。
Orange hawkweed is often seen along roadsides in Hokkaido.
コウリンタンポポの鮮あざやかなオレンジ色いろの花はなが咲さいている。
The bright orange flowers of the orange hawkweed are blooming.

Kanji

紅crimson, deep red
輪wheel, ring, circle
蒲bullrush, flag, cattail
公public, prince, official
英England, English, hero

Related words

タンポポ
タンポポ (dandelion) is a common yellow-flowered weed; コウリンタンポポ is a different species with orange-red flowers, often called 'hawkweed' in English.

Written forms

こうりんたんぽぽ
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more common for plant names.
紅こう輪りん蒲公英たんぽぽ
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in botanical contexts; learners will almost always encounter the katakana form.

Etymology

The name コウリンタンポポ literally means 'red-ring dandelion,' from 紅 (kō, 'crimson'), 輪 (rin, 'ring'), and タンポポ (tanpopo, 'dandelion'), referring to the flower's color and shape. The plant is not a true dandelion but a hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca).