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The "Torigamine-kan-aoi" (Asarum pellucidum ) belongs to Aristolochiaceae (the Birthwort family). It is an evergreen perennial herb that is endemic to Japan and distributed only on Amami Oshima Island. It grows under evergreen broad-leaved forests in the mountains in the southern part of Amami Oshima, and is about 10 cm tall. The leaves are ovate to arrowhead-shaped with a heart-shaped base. Yellowish green, greenish purple, or milky white flowers bloom at the base from December to February. The calyx tube is small and urn-shaped, about 10 mm long, with a constricted entrance. The calyx lobes are ovate-oblong and open almost horizontally. The Japanese name is derived from the place where this species was first discovered (Torigamine, Sumiyo-cho). It is classified as endangered (CR) on the Red List.
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