Coptis quinquefolia

Flower name
Coptis quinquefolia
Scientific name
Coptis quinquefolia
Alias梅花黄蓮, ゴカヨウオウレン, 五加葉黄蓮, ばいかおうれん
Place of originendemic to Japan
Place of floweringLow mountains, Sub-alpine, Potted flower
Flowering seasonMarch, April

What is Coptis quinquefolia

Coptis quinquefolia or baika-oren (scientific name: Coptis quinquefolia) is an evergreen perennial herb of the genus Coptisa of the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Japan. It grows wild in forest margins in mountainous areas from the southern Tohoku region to Kyushu and Shikoku. The grass is low, 5 to 10 cm tall. The thread-like stems crawl underground to reproduce and produce leaves. It has five leaves, which resemble the leaves of the araliaceae (five-leafed magnolia), hence its other name, gokayo-hawaioren (five-leafed magnolia). In spring, white flowers resembling plum blossoms bloom at the tips of long, slender, brown flower stalks. However, what appears to be a white flower is a calyx, and the real flower is a small yellow pendulous one in the center. After the flower, a boat-shaped fruit is produced. The name "baika-oren" comes from the fact that the calyx, which looks like a flower, resembles a plum blossom.

Common name: Coptis quinquefolia, scientific name: Coptis quinquefolia, also known as Baika-oren, distribution: Southern Tohoku to Honshu, Shikoku Japan, environment: forest margins in mountainous areas, Life form: evergreen perennial herb, herb height: 5-10 cm, rooting leaf shape: 5 leaflets (ornate compound leaf), leaflet shape: cuneate at base, ovate inverted, with 3 deep lobes, petiole: nearly absent, leaflet texture: slightly thick and glossy, leaflet margin: sharply serrated, dioecious, flower stalk color: brown, calyx diameter: 1.5 cm, Flowering season: March-April; calyx color (what looks like a flower): white; calyx attached: 1 flower at the tip of the stem; number of sepals: 5; flower shape: spoon-shaped (ovate); flower color: yellow; fruit shape: boat-shaped; fruit type: bag fruit; bag fruit length: 1 cm.