わが国の本州から四国・九州、それに朝鮮半島や中国に分布しています。むかしは丘陵や草原に、ふつうに自生していたといいます。今ではほとんど見られなくなりました。4月から5月ごろ、釣鐘状の花を下向きに咲かせます。花弁のように見えるのは萼片です。果実には白い長い毛があります。和名はこれを翁の頭に見立てたことから。中国名では「朝鮮白頭翁(chao xian bai tou weng)」。
The "Okina-gusa" (Pulsatilla cernua) belongs to Ranunculaceae (the Buttercup family). It is a perennial herb that is native from Honshu to Shikoku, Kyushu in Japan, as well as the Korean Penninsula and China. This herb was grown commonly in hills and grasslands in former days. Nowadays, it can be almost never found in the wild. The bell-shaped flowers bloom descending from April to May. The corolla has five petaloid sepals. The fruits have white long hairs. The Japanese name is derived from an old man's white hairs. The Japanese name comes from its resemblance to the head of an old man. The Chinese name is "朝鮮白頭翁" (chao xian bai tou weng).