Koriyanagi - Koriyanagi

A deciduous shrub of the Salicaceae family (APG classification: Salicaceae). The branches are long and smooth, without hair. The leaves are alternate or opposite. Mature leaves are stalked, somewhat leathery and glabrous, 5-10 cm long, linear lanceolate, pointed at the tip and acute or obtuse at the base. The edges have shallow serrations, but some are entire. The undersides are pale white. Dioecious. In spring, before the leaves appear, the plant produces inflorescences about 2 cm long. The bracts are ovate-elliptical, with white hairs on both sides, and are black except at the base, so the inflorescences appear black at first. There are two stamens, reddish purple anthers, and a single filament. It has one pistil, a stalkless ovary with dense white hairs, a style less than half the length of the ovary, and a red stigma that is either concave at the tip or short and bifurcated. It grows wild on the Korean Peninsula and is thought to have been introduced to Japan long ago. It is cultivated in various places, and people make things like wicker baskets from the bark of its branches, hence the name Korean willow.

[Sadao Sugaya July 21, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ヤナギ科（APG分類：ヤナギ科）の落葉低木。枝は毛がなく滑らかで長く伸びる。葉は互生または対生。成葉には柄がありやや革質で無毛、長さ5～10センチメートル、線状披針(ひしん)形、先はとがり、基部は鋭形ないし鈍形。縁(へり)は切れ込みの浅い鋸歯(きょし)があるが、全縁のものもある。裏面は淡白色を帯びる。雌雄異株。春、葉が出る前に、長さ約2センチメートルの花穂を出し、包葉は卵状楕円(だえん)形で両面に白毛があり、基部以外は黒色なので、花穂は初め黒くみえる。雄しべは2本、葯(やく)は紅紫色、花糸は合体して1本。雌しべは1本、子房は無柄で白毛が密生し、花柱の長さは子房の半分以下、柱頭は紅色で、先がへこむか、短く2裂する。朝鮮半島に自生し、古く日本に渡来したとされる。各地に栽植され、枝の皮で行李(こうり)などをつくるのでコリヤナギの名がある。

［菅谷貞男　2020年7月21日］

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