Plant and Animal Life in the Grasslands and Wetlands
Animals
• Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster)
An amphibian reaching 10 centimeters in length, notable for its mottled ventral pattern
of bright red-and-black skin, which contains a dangerous tetrodotoxin.
If accidentally handled, wash point(s) of contact thoroughly.
• Japanese Relict Dragonfly (Epiophlebia superstes)
About 5 centimeters long, with wings of 3 centimeters. A relict species, or “living fossil,”
and the only surviving member of the once-widespread Epiophlebiidae family.
• Scarce Large Blue Butterfly (Phengaris teleius)
Forewings measure 18–24 millimeters. Caterpillars produce a sweet nectar and are adopted
into ant nests, where they feed upon ant broods before pupating. Critically endangered as of 2019.
Grassland Plants
• Golden Lace (Patrinia scabiosifolia)
Perennial. Flowering in August, it is one of seven plants associated with autumn in traditional
Japanese poetry. Its Japanese name, ominaeshi, is also used to describe a traditional pattern of
layered green and yellow kimono.
• Citron Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina var. vespertina)
Perennial. Brilliant yellow with a lemony fragrance. Blooms in the evenings
from July to August, and individual flowers only open for a single day.
Dried blossoms, called “golden needles,” are used in several Asian cuisines.
• Japanese Ladybells (Adenophora triphylla var. japonica)
Perennial. Delicate lavender bells appear from August to September. Its long,
pale root resembles ginseng, giving it the native name tsurigane-ninjin,
meaning “temple-bell ginseng.”
Wetland Plants
• Japanese Water Iris (Iris ensata var. spontanea)
Perennial. Bold purple with yellow stripes on the falls; usually blooms in June. The wild ancestor
of many modern iris cultivars grown worldwide.
• Kiseruazami Thistle (Cirsium sieboldii)
Perennial. Blooms from August to October, producing magenta flowers with a characteristic droop.
Its Japanese name of “pipe thistle” (kiseruazami) comes from its resemblance to a kiseru,
a traditional Japanese tobacco pipe.
• Fringe Sedge (Fimbristylis dichotoma)
Annual. Sprouts red-brown spikelets from July to November. Some attribute the native name,
which can be read as sky-piercer” (tentsuki), to these skyward-pointing flower heads.