Yellow-Cress (Rorippa) イヌガラシ属（犬芥子）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Yellow-cress (Rorippa) is native to Asia and should be found across Japan but not so often in Central Tokyo. The plant grows in wet habitat, producing yellow flowers from April to June in Japan. Its Japanese name is "inu garashi," which translates to "dog mustard greens," because the plant tastes like mustard greens but is of lower quality as food. (To be continued below the 1st photo.)

2026/4/28

In Japan, the term "inu (dog)" is often used derogatorily, i.e., for something which resembles a useful thing but is different or inferior to it or something useless, like the following:

• Inu jini, translating to a dog death, meaning a useless death (I don't believe there is a useful death though)
• Inu houzuki, translating to dog ground cherry, meaning black nightshade, whose flowers resemble ground cherry but which is useless 
• Inu, translating to an informant, a snitch, a rat

The plant's name "Rorippa" reminds of Get Up, I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine, by James Brown although there is only one common letter of "p." 

2026/4/28

2026/4/28

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イヌガラシ（犬芥子）です。アジア原産で日本でもあちこちで見られるはずなのですが、都心ではあまり見かけません。4月から6月に花を付けます。食べられるそうでカラシのようにピリッとするからイヌガラシだそうです。犬の付く言葉ってひどいものが多いですよね。犬死に、イヌホオズキ（犬酸漿）。警察の犬などなど｡｡｡ なんでだろう♬なんでだろう♬

ちなみに英語名は Rorippa。見た瞬間に James Brown の Get Up, I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine（ゲロッパ♪ていうやつ）を思い出すのは私だけでしょうか。。。？

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