Late 19th century; earliest use found in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. From Japanese rikka, †rikkwa, lit. ‘standing flowers’ from rik-, variant (before k) of ritsu- to stand, to make stand, set up (from Middle Chinese) + -ka (formerly -kwa) flower, blossom (apparently originally from either or both of two Middle Chinese words which became homophonous in Japanese; compare Chinese huā flower and huá splendid, flowery).