Like tiny yellow PARABOLIC ANTENNAE, these flowers emerge from the frosty (often snow covered) ground in the first weeks of February- exactly when New Year`s ( O-Shogatsu) fell according to the old Japanese calendar (and the same time the Chinese still celebrate it). It is because of their timely appearance, at what was the most auspicious time of year, that these curious looking, low laying, poisonous plants are considered great symbols of good luck. This is reflected in the name by which they are still called- FUKUJUSO (福寿草), which means the GOOD FORTUNE- LONG LIFE PLANTS. For the same reason they have also been called GANJITSU-SO (元日草), the New Years Day Plant, and during the Edo Period (1600-1868） these stumpy, bright yellow, INDIGENOUS flowers were sold in flower pots, often coupled with other auspicious plants of the season, as New Year`s decorations. Besides the real fukujuso (called Adonis ramosa in English), painted versions also made for a popular decorative motifs for the beginning of the year.