鏡草

Japanese

Literally, “mirror grass”, 鏡(かがみ) (kagami, “mirror”) + 草(くさ) (kusa, “grass, plant”). The kusa changes to gusa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

鏡(かがみ)草(ぐさ) or 鏡草(カガミグサ) • (kagamigusa)

Ampelopsis japonica
Synonym: 白蘞 (byakuren)
(archaic) the round slices of daikon placed atop the 鏡餅 (kagami mochi) at the New Year
(by extension) Synonym of 大根 (daikon, “daikon radish, mooli”)
Synonym of 朝顔 (asagao, “morning glory, Ipomoea nil”)
Synonym of 一薬草 (ichiyakusō, “Pyrola japonica”)
(archaic) Synonym of 蘿藦 (gagaimo, “Metaplexis japonica”)
(archaic) Synonym of 浮草 (ukikusa, “duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza”)
(archaic) Synonym of 山吹 (yamabuki, “kerria rose, Kerria japonica”)
(historical) Synonym of 豆蔦 (mamezuta, “Lemmaphyllum microphyllum”)
(historical) Synonym of 伊予葛 (Iyo kazura, “Vincetoxicum japonicum”)
(historical) Synonym of 酢漿草 (katabami, “creeping woodsorrel, Oxalis corniculata”)
(historical) Synonym of 血止草 (chidomegusa, “Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides”)

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

鏡(かがみ)草(そう) • (kagamisō) ^{←かがみさう (kagamisau)^?}