Gokizuru - Gokizuru

Japanese: ゴキヅル - ごきづる

An annual vine of the Cucurbitaceae family that grows in grasslands near water (illustration). It is called a gokizuru because the fruit is divided into an upper and lower part like a lid coming together. The vine is thin, and wraps around other objects with tendrils, growing to about 2m. The leaves are triangular with tapered tips, and the base bulges out to the left and right, forming a heart shape. From summer to autumn, panicles emerge from the leaf axils, and many small, pale yellow-green flowers bloom. There are many male flowers, and both the calyx and corolla are divided into five lobes, with the lobes ending in sharp pointed tips.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

水辺の草地に生えるウリ科の一年生つる草（イラスト）。果実がふたを合わせるように上下に分かれるところから合器蔓（ごきづる）と呼ばれる。つるは細く，巻きひげで他物に巻きつき，2m内外に伸びる。葉は三角状で，先は細く，基部は左右にはり出して1～2対の突出があり，心形となる。夏から秋にかけて葉腋（ようえき）から円錐花序を出し，多数の淡黄緑色で小型の花をつける。雄花は多数あって，萼，花冠ともにそれぞれ5裂し，裂片の先は細くとがる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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