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"Hahako-gusa" (Gnaphalium affine) belongs to Asteraceae (the Aster family). It is a biennial herb that is native to all over Japan, as well as the Korea Penisula, China and India. This herb grows in sunny arable lands, fields or roadsides and can reach 15-40 cm in height. The plant is covered with white wool hairs in early spring. The stem is much branched and blooms small many yellow flower-heads on the stalks from April to June. The Japanese name comes from the fact that the pappus (the soft, downy hair at the tip of the seed) stands up on end, and is a variant of the word "hoko-gusa" (meaning "downy hair"). It is also known as "御形" (gogyo), one of the seven spring flowers. In the Heian period (794-1185), kusa-mochi was made using this young greens. In Chinese, it is called "擬鼠麹草" (ni shu qu cao).
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