August 30

Birth Flower

Sensitive Plant
Touch-me-not Shy Plant Sleeping Grass

Scientific Name: Mimosa pudica
Family: Fabaceae

Flower Language

  • Memory of Love
  • Delicate Feelings
  • Sensitivity
  • Modesty

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Sensitive Plant is a legume native to South America and Brazil, characterized by its unique ability to close its leaves and droop when touched, resembling a bowing motion that gives it its name. It produces cute pink pompom-like flowers during summer. Growing 30-50cm tall, it thrives in heat but is sensitive to cold, making it an annual in Japan. The scientific name Mimosa pudica derives from the Greek 'mimos' meaning gesture and Latin 'pudica' meaning shy or bashful.

Trivia

  • Leaf-closing movement called 'nyctinasty' occurs through chemical reactions triggered by touch
  • Darwin extensively studied this plant's movement for his evolution research
  • Day-blooming flowers that open at night and close by morning
  • Seeds are very small, with 4-6 seeds per pod

Uses

Ornamental
  • Popular summer potted plant
  • Used for children's science education
  • Enjoyed as indoor houseplant
Medicinal
  • Traditionally used root extracts for snake bite neutralization
  • Anti-inflammatory properties reported, but caution needed due to toxicity

Caution: Contains toxic alkaloid mimosine; avoid internal consumption.

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption. Avoid ingestion due to toxicity.

Other
  • Used in scientific experiments
  • Educational material for studying plant movement

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: Entire plant, Especially seeds

Symptoms: Hair loss effects from mimosine reported. Large quantities may affect nervous system.

Siam Tulip
Summer Tulip Curcuma

Scientific Name: Curcuma alismatifolia
Family: Zingiberaceae

Flower Language

  • Fate
  • Patience
  • Enchanted by Your Beauty
  • Maiden's Fragrance

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Curcuma is a bulbous plant of the ginger family native to Southeast Asia, developed as an ornamental variety of turmeric. During hot summer periods, it produces beautiful flowers with pink, purple, or white bracts. The beautiful parts that appear to be petals are actually bracts (leaves that enclosed the buds), while the true flowers bloom quietly inside. The bracts have a waxy texture and are durable, maintaining their beautiful colors for nearly a month. The rhizome is yellow, belonging to the same family as edible turmeric, but cultivated for ornamental purposes. Also called 'Siam Tulip' after Thailand's former name 'Siam'.

Trivia

  • Name derives from Arabic 'kurkum' meaning yellow
  • Remarkable longevity as cut flowers, maintaining beauty for nearly a month
  • Called 'Pathumma' in Thai, compared to lotus flowers
  • Bulbs die below 5°C, requiring indoor overwintering in Japan

Uses

Ornamental
  • Popular as premium cut flowers
  • Cultivated as summer potted plants
  • Star of floral arrangements
Medicinal
  • Rhizome contains curcumin with antioxidant properties
  • Used for digestive promotion in traditional medicine

Caution: Ornamental varieties not suitable for consumption or medicine. Different from edible turmeric varieties.

Culinary

Ornamental variety not suitable for consumption. Different from edible turmeric varieties.

Other
  • Natural dye from rhizomes
  • Essential oil extraction from rhizomes for fragrance

Toxicity

Symptoms: No particular toxicity reported for ornamental curcuma, but not suitable for consumption.

Evening Primrose
Moon Flower Night Willow-herb

Scientific Name: Oenothera tetraptera
Family: Onagraceae

Flower Language

  • Tender Love
  • Fickleness
  • Silent Love
  • Fleeting Love

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Evening Primrose is a plant of the Onagraceae family native to Mexico, known for its day-blooming nature - opening at night and wilting by morning. Opening white 4-petaled flowers in the evening and continuing to bloom until the next morning, they turn beautiful pink before wilting. Blooming from June to September, the white flowers glowing in the night silence create a very mystical appearance. Introduced to Japan from the late Edo to early Meiji period, it has weak reproductive capacity and didn't naturalize, becoming so rare it's now called a 'phantom flower'. Often confused with its relative Oenothera biennis (yellow flowers), Evening Primrose is distinguished by its white flowers.

Trivia

  • Featured in Dazai Osamu's novel 'Fugaku Hyakkei' with the famous line about Mt. Fuji and evening primrose
  • Yellow 'moon flowers' commonly seen in Japan are actually different species (Oenothera biennis)
  • Flower opening moment can be observed with naked eye as it opens slowly
  • Seeds can be pressed for oil, known as evening primrose oil

Uses

Ornamental
  • Star plant in night gardens
  • Important component of moon gardens
  • Brief enjoyment as cut flowers
Medicinal
  • Traditionally seed oil used for skin problems
  • Native Americans used the entire plant as medicine

Caution: Medicinal use not common today. Do not use without expert guidance.

Culinary

Generally not used for culinary purposes.

Other
  • Educational material for night observation
  • Subject of circadian rhythm research

Toxicity

Symptoms: No particular toxicity reported, but safety for consumption not confirmed.