Ramie - Ramie

A perennial plant of the Urticaceae family (APG classification: Urticaceae). The stem is 1-2 meters tall. It branches from the middle down, is fibrous and hard, and has hairs lying down on the surface. It can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus Yabuma in Japan by its alternate leaves. The leaves have long stalks, are broadly ovate, and usually have dense white fluff on the underside, but there are also species with very little hair (Aokaramushi), which are particularly common in the mountains of the Chugoku region of Honshu and the northern Kinki region. The inflorescences grow from the leaf axils and are separate for both sexes, both of which are short and cone-shaped. It is widely distributed in the lowlands and low mountains from Honshu to Kyushu, but its original distribution area is unclear because it was once widely cultivated for the purpose of obtaining fiber from the stems. Its Chinese name is Yabuma. The basic species, B. nivea (L.) Gaudich. var. nivea , is distinguished by its larger overall size, wider leaves, and hairy stems. Its Chinese name is ramie. It is thought to have originated in southern mainland China, and in Japan it was cultivated for its fiber, and has become wild in many places. Ramie (Cho-ma) refers to a particularly hardy cultivated strain of this plant.

[Hiroshi Yonekura December 13, 2019]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イラクサ科（APG分類：イラクサ科）の多年草。茎は高さ1～2メートル。中部以下で枝を分け、繊維質で硬く、表面に伏した毛がある。葉は互生する点で日本産のヤブマオ属の他の種から容易に区別できる。葉には長い柄(え)があり、広卵形で普通、裏面に白い綿毛を密生するが、この毛がごく少ないもの（アオカラムシ）もあり、とくに本州の中国地方や近畿地方北部の山地にはこの型が多い。花序は葉腋(ようえき)から出て雌雄別となり、雌雄ともに円錐(えんすい)状で短い。本州から九州の低地・低山地に広く分布するが、かつて茎から繊維をとる目的で広く栽培されたために本来の分布域は明らかではない。中国名は伏毛苧麻。基本種のナンバンカラムシB. nivea (L.) Gaudich. var. niveaは全体により大形で葉が幅広く、茎の毛が開出する点で区別される。中国名は苧麻。中国大陸南部の原産と考えられ、日本では繊維をとるために栽培されて、それが野生化した所も多い。ラミー（チョマ）はこのなかでとくに頑丈な栽培系統をさす。

［米倉浩司　2019年12月13日］

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