Gojika - Gojika

Japanese: ゴジカ - ごじか

A single annual plant of the family Sterculiaceae native to Southeast Asia. It was already cultivated in Japan during the Heian period for ornamental purposes. It grows to a height of 50-120cm. The leaves are alternate, linear or lanceolate, 4-12cm long and 0.5-4cm wide, with sawtooth edges. From summer to autumn, red flowers about 3cm in diameter bloom slightly downward at the end of one or two pedicels emerging from the leaf axils. Gojika is the Chinese name for this plant, based on the fact that the flowers open around noon and wilt by the next morning. Originally, this plant grows in wetlands and rice paddies in monsoon regions such as India, Indochina, Java, and Celebes, and does not become naturalized in Japan.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

東南アジア原産のアオギリ科の1属1種の一年草。日本には観賞用として平安時代にすでに栽培されていた。高さ50～120cm。葉は互生し，葉身は長さ4～12cm，幅0.5～4cmの線形ないし披針形で，縁に鋸歯がある。夏から秋にかけて葉腋（ようえき）から出る1,2個の花梗の先に，直径約3cmの赤色の花がやや下向きに咲く。午時花は漢名で，花が正午ごろ開き，翌朝にはしぼんでしまうことに基づく。本来はインドからインドシナ，ジャワ，セレベスなどモンスーン地帯の湿地や水田に生育する植物で，日本では野生化しない。

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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