Kikarasuri - Kikarasuri

Japanese: キカラスウリ - きからすうり

A perennial plant of the Cucurbitaceae family (APG classification: Cucurbitaceae). When young, the stems are covered with brown soft hairs along with the leaves, but become hairless as they mature. It resembles a snake gourd, but the clusters at the end of the corolla lobes are short, and the fruit ripens to a yellow color. The starch extracted from the roots is called tenkafun (tenka powder) and is used as a medicine for heat rash. It is distributed throughout Japan. The basic species, the Korean snake gourd, has orange-yellow fruit that is distributed in Korea, China, and Vietnam and is called katsurou and used medicinally.

[Junko Kobayashi February 17, 2020]

[Reference] | Triangle

Male flower of Triticum vulgare
A species endemic to Japan. It resembles a snake gourd, but the clusters at the end of the corolla lobes are short. It flowers from July to September. ©Shogakukan Photo by Okuyama Hisashi ">

Male flower of Triticum vulgare

Fruit of the bitter gourd
It is rather large, at 7-10cm long, with a long stalk. It turns yellow when ripe. ©Shogakukan Photo by Okuyama Hisashi ">

Fruit of the bitter gourd

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ウリ科（APG分類：ウリ科）の多年草。茎は若いときは葉とともに褐色の軟毛が生えるが、成長につれ無毛となる。カラスウリに似るが、花冠裂片の先の房が短く、果実は黄色に熟する。根からとれるデンプンは天瓜粉（天花粉）(てんかふん)といい、あせもの薬用となる。日本全土に分布する。基本種のチョウセンカラスウリは果実が橙黄(とうこう)色で、朝鮮、中国、ベトナムに分布し、括楼(かつろう)と称し、薬用とする。

［小林純子　2020年2月17日］

[参照項目] | カラスウリ

キカラスウリの雄花
日本特産種。カラスウリに似るが、花冠裂片の先の房が短い。花期は7～9月ごろ©Shogakukan　撮影／おくやまひさし">

キカラスウリの雄花

キカラスウリの果実

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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