| Man’yō Name | Akane 茜草 茜 赤根 安可禰（あかね） |
| Modern Name | Akane 茜（アカネ） |
| English Name | Madder |
| Scientific Name | F. Rubiaceae; Rubia akane; R. cordifolia var. mungista |
| Distribution | Hills and hedgerows in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu |
| Appearance | |
| Seasonal Association | |
| Notes | The principal usage of the akane was for the production of red dye, made from the plant’s roots. As a result, its use in poetry is solely in the makura kotoba, akane sasu (‘shining madder red’), with the reference being to the dye’s colour, rather than the plant itself. |
Poems (13)
| MYS I: 20 MYS II: 169 MYS II: 199 | MYS IV: 565 MYS VI: 916 MYS XI: 2353 | MYS XII: 2901 MYS XIII: 3270 MYS XIII: 3297 | MYS XV: 3732 MYS XVI: 3857 MYS XIX: 4166 MYS XX: 4455 |