Iwa-Kagami, Schizocodon soldanelloides

　Iwa-Kagami is a species endemic to Japan, found throughout the country, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It grows wild on rocky (Iwa in Japanese) slopes, and its name is thought to derive from the fact that its glossy leaves resemble a mirror (Kagami in Japanese).
　It is found on both low- and high-altitude mountains, and in alpine regions such as Mount Zaō, its pink flowers begin to bloom in June. It is perhaps because its flowers bloom modestly, facing downwards, that their floral meaning is ‘fidelity’. This seems very typically Japanese, and it is easy to see why this species is endemic to Japan.