わが国の各地をはじめ、台湾や朝鮮半島、中国、南千島に分布しています。道端や草むらに生え、30〜80センチになります。地下茎は太く、茎は直立します。葉は奇数羽状複葉で、小葉は5〜9個あります。7月から10月ごろ、長い総状花序をだし、黄色い5弁花を咲かせます。和名は、黄色い花穂を、金色の水引にみたてたもの。台湾華語では「龍牙草」、中国語では「龍芽草(long ya cao)」と呼ばれます。
バラ科キンミズヒキ属の多年草で、学名は Agrimonia pilosa var. japonica (syn. Agrimonia pilosa)。英名はありません。
The "Kin-mizuhiki" (Agrimonia pilosa var. japonica) belongs to Rosaceae (the Rose family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China and the southern Kuril Islands. This herb grows in roadsides or grasslands and can reach 30-80 cm in height. The rhizomes are thick and the stems are erect. The leaves are odd-pinnate compound with 5-9 leaflets. The long racemes are borne and the yellow flowers bloom from July to October. The Japanese name is derived from its yellow spikes, which resemble "mizuhiki" (Japanese traditional knot tying decoration especially for gifts). In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "龍牙草", and in Chinese, "龍牙草" (long ya cao).