Turmeric - Turmeric

Japanese: カラスウリ - からすうり

A perennial plant of the Cucurbitaceae family (APG classification: Cucurbitaceae). The roots are spindle-shaped, the stems are creeping, and the tendrils grow by wrapping around other things. The plant is covered with coarse hairs. The leaves are palmate, 6-10 cm long and 10 cm wide, and shallowly lobed with 3-5 lobes. The flowers are unisexual and dioecious. They flower in August and September. The corolla opens in the evening and has 5 lobes, the ends of which are thinly torn like lace threads and hang down in clusters. The male flowers are short racemes, while the female flowers are solitary and do not form inflorescences. The fruits are oblong, 5-7 cm long, and ripen red. The seeds are blackish brown and shaped like a drum-shaped knot on a sash, and are also called Tamazusa (jeweled mark) because they resemble a knot. They are found in many mountains and fields, and are distributed throughout Japan south of southern Hokkaido and in eastern Asia. Another species is the bitter gourd.

[Junko Kobayashi February 17, 2020]

Medicinal

In traditional Chinese medicine, the roots are called dokakon, the fruits dokajitsu, and the seeds dokanin. The roots are used as a menstrual, diuretic, and pus-draining agent, and the flesh is used by the public to treat burns and chilblains. The seeds, like those of the bitter melon (karonin), are used as an expectorant, cough suppressant, pain reliever, and anti-inflammatory agent. The prescription Shokankyoto, which uses the seeds, is famous for treating wet pleurisy. The roots of the bitter melon are called karonin and are used as antipyretics, thirst suppressants, diuretics, and emulsifiers, while the pure white, fine-grained starch from the plant is called tenkafen and is sprinkled on the skin to stop sweating. This is what is known as "sweat-free."

[Motoo Nagasawa February 17, 2020]

[Reference item] | Trifolium moniliforme

Venus Melon
A vine commonly found in the mountains and fields of southern Hokkaido. It grows by wrapping around other things with its tendrils. The leaves are palmate and shallowly divided into 3 to 5 lobes. The roots and fruits are used in traditional Chinese medicine. ©Seishohmaru ">

Venus Melon

Violet gourd fruit
It is oblong and 5-7cm long. It ripens red around October and is used in flower arrangements. ©Seishohmaru ">

Violet gourd fruit

Violet flower
The corolla opens in the evening, and the tips of the lobes split into thin pieces and hang down in clusters. The plant is dioecious and blooms from August to September. The photo shows a male flower. ©Shogakukan Photo by Masatoshi Hirose ">

Violet flower

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ウリ科（APG分類：ウリ科）の多年草。根は紡錘状、茎はつる性となり、巻きひげで他物に絡んで伸びる。全体に粗い毛がある。葉は長さ、幅とも6～10センチメートル、掌状で浅く3～5裂する。花は単性で雌雄異株。花期は8、9月。花冠は夕方から開き5裂し、裂片の先はレースの糸状に細く裂けて房状に垂れる。雄花は短い総状となり、雌花は単生で花序をつくらない。果実は長楕円(ちょうだえん)形、長さ5～7センチメートルで赤く熟す。種子は黒褐色で帯のお太鼓結び状をしており、また結文(むすびぶみ)に似ているのでタマズサ（玉章）の名もある。山野に多く、北海道南部以南の日本全土、アジア東部に分布する。別種にキカラスウリがある。

［小林純子　2020年2月17日］

薬用

漢方では根を土瓜根(どかこん)、果実を土瓜実(どかじつ)、種子を土瓜仁(どかにん)と称して使用する。根は通経、利尿、排膿(はいのう)剤として用い、果肉は、民間でやけど、しもやけに用いる。種子はキカラスウリの種子（括楼仁(かろにん)）と同様に去痰(きょたん)、鎮咳(ちんがい)、鎮痛、消炎剤として用いる。これを用いた小陥胸湯(しょうかんきょうとう)という処方は湿性肋膜炎(ろくまくえん)を治すので有名である。キカラスウリの根を括楼根といい、解熱、止渇、利尿、催乳剤として用いるほか、その純白できめの細かいデンプンを天瓜粉（天花粉）といい、皮膚に振りかけて汗止めとする。これが、いわゆる「汗知らず」である。

［長沢元夫　2020年2月17日］

[参照項目] | キカラスウリ

カラスウリ

カラスウリの果実

カラスウリの花

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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