St. John's Wort and a Bee with a Pollen Basket オトギリソウ（弟切草）と花粉荷運搬中のハチ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are St. John's wort (Hypericum). The bright yellow caught my eye but not only that. A bee hovering over the flowers did and as I'd expected, the bee had a pollen basket! 

But there's something more interesting about this plant. St. John's wort's Japanese name is "otogiriso," which translates to "plant killing younger brother" after a Japanese legend that a man got so angry at his younger brother, who'd leaked an important secret of a medicine made from St. John's wort, that he killed the brother. Because of this legend, in Japan, St. John's wort means "grudge" and "superstition." As the legend suggests, in Japan, the stems and leaves of Hypericum erectum were used as folk medicine to stop bleeding and for other medical purposes.   

Someone who can't keep their mouths shut ended up being killed in not only Japan but also in Italy. In an Italian short story "Mateo Falcone," a father kills his 10-year-old son because the son can't keep his mouth shut.

St. John's wort is popular among not only bees but also common straight swift (Parnara guttata) (last 2 photos).

2025/6/1

2025/6/1

2025/6/1

Hypericum (St. John's Wort) Means "Grudge" in Japan 弟切草（オトギリソウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is hypericum or more commonly St. John's wort, the only flower I was able to find in my neighborhood today (August 11). With the current heatwave across Japan, i.e., air temperature of 39°C (or 102°F) with humidity of 70%, most flowers have died.

In Japanese, hypericum is called "killing younger brother plant" after the legend in the 10th century that a man got so angry at his younger brother, who'd leaked an important secret of a medicine made from St. John's wort, that he killed the brother, and because of this legend, in Japan, the flower means "grudge" and "superstition." Someone who can't keep their mouths shut could end up being killed in not only Japan but also in Italy. In an Italian short story "Mateo Falcone," a father kills his 10-year-old son because the son can't keep his mouth shut.

As the Japanese legend suggests, St. John's wort's stems and leaves were used as a medicine to stop bleeding in Japan. 

Hypericum on August 11 弟切草（8月11日）