蝮草

Japanese

Kanji in this term
蝮	草
まむし Hyōgai	くさ > ぐさ Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Etymology

Literally, “pit viper grass”, 蝮(まむし) (mamushi, “pit viper”) + 草(くさ) (kusa, “grass, plant”)

Noun

蝮(まむし)草(ぐさ) or 蝮草(マムシグサ) • (mamushigusa) 

1. Arisaema serratum, a species of cobra lily

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).