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The "Yuki-zasa" (Smilacina japonica) belongs to Liliaceae (the Lily family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed throughtout Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Amur and Ussuri. This herb grows in montane woodlands and can reach 20-70 cm in height. The upper stem grows side-upward, the leaves are elliptic and alternate, The stem and leaves have numerous hairs. The conical raceme is borne and blooms small white flowers from May to July. The fruits are berries and ripen red in fall. The Japanese name is derived from the metaphor of the white flowers as snow and the leaves as "sasa". In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "鹿藥" and in Chinese "鹿葯" (lu yao).
In Korean, it's called "pul-som-dae" (풀솜대) or "chi-jang-po-sal" (지장보살). "pul-som-dae" is named for its resemblance to "Hachiku, Henon bamboo" (som-de: 솜대), even though it is a grass. Additionally, "chi-jang-po-sal" refers to "Jizo Bosatsu" (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva); the name was given to this plant to signify that it is a "grass that saves all sentient beings", as its young shoots were eaten as wild greens during times of food shortages.
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