Hawthorn - hawthorn

Japanese: サンザシ - さんざし

A deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family (APG classification: Rosaceae). It grows to a height of about 2 meters, with many branches and modified thorns on the short branches. The leaves are alternate, obovate, 3-6 cm long, shallowly lobed into 3-5 lobes with serrations at the top, and wedge-shaped at the base. The stipules are semiovate with serrated edges. In May, the corymbs produce 5-7 white flowers, each about 1.5 cm in diameter. There are five oblate petals, 20 stamens, red anthers, and 4-5 pistils. The fruit is an oblate, pear-shaped fruit about 2 cm in diameter, with a sepal remaining at the apex, and ripens red in September-October. The fruit that ripens yellow is called yellow hawthorn. Native to central China, it was introduced to Japan during the Kyoho era (1716-1736). It is used as a garden tree or bonsai, and is propagated by seed or cuttings. The fruit contains quercetin, chlorogenic acid, oleanolic acid, and other digestive enzymes, which promote digestion, and are used as a stomachic and intestinal medicine.

A similar species, the common hawthorn C. laevigata (Poir.) DC. ( C. oxyacantha L.), is distributed in Europe and North Africa, where it is called the Mayflower and grows into a small tree that blooms white, single, five-petaled flowers. In Japan, the red hawthorn, a horticultural variety of the common hawthorn with red double flowers, is often planted.

[Yoshio Kobayashi January 21, 2020]

Cultural history

It has been known in China since ancient times, and is listed in the 2nd century BC "Erya" under the name "Hawthorn". There are 16 species of the genus Crataegus in China, but the most representative are the Crataegus cratae (Yashanzha) in the central and southern parts of China and the Crataegus maxima (Shanzha) in the north, whose fruits can grow up to 2.5 cm. In addition to being eaten raw, it has been popular to process it into sugar jars, jelly (Shanzha ko) and juice (Shanzha juice), which are made by putting the fruit on a bamboo skewer and sprinkling it with rock sugar. In traditional Chinese medicine, the fruit of the hawthorn is used as a medicine for stomach health, indigestion, and cardiac tonic. It was introduced to Japan during the Edo period and was used as an ornamental plant (Zouhochikinsho, 1710). The European hawthorn blooms in May in England, where it is called the May flower. It has been used to ward off evil spirits since Roman times, and there are many legends and beliefs surrounding it.

[Hiroshi Yuasa January 21, 2020]

Redthorn Hawthorn
A horticultural variety of hawthorn that is commonly planted in Japan. The flowers are red and double-flowered. ©Shogakukan Photo by Hiroshi Okada ">

Redthorn Hawthorn

Dried Hawthorn
©Shogakukan ">

Dried Hawthorn

Hawthorn paste
A dried fruit made by crushing and kneading hawthorn berries ©Shogakukan ">

Hawthorn paste

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

バラ科（APG分類：バラ科）の落葉低木。高さ約2メートルで、枝を多く分け、短枝の変化した刺(とげ)がある。葉は互生し、倒卵形、長さ3～6センチメートルで上部は浅く3～5裂して鋸歯(きょし)があり、基部はくさび形である。托葉(たくよう)は半卵形で縁(へり)に鋸歯がある。5月に散房花序をなして径約1.5センチメートルの白色花が5～7個開く。花弁は扁円(へんえん)形で5枚、雄しべは20本で葯(やく)は赤く、雌しべは4～5本ある。果実は扁球形、径約2センチメートルのなし状果で、頂端に萼片(がくへん)が残り、9～10月に赤く熟す。果実が黄熟するものをキミノサンザシという。中国中部原産で享保(きょうほう)年間（1716～1736）には日本に入っていた。庭木や盆栽にし、繁殖は実生(みしょう)、挿木による。果実はクエルセチン、クロロゲン酸、オレアノール酸などのほか消化酵素を含み、消化促進作用があり、健胃、整腸薬に用いる。

　類似種のセイヨウサンザシC. laevigata (Poir.) DC.（C. oxyacantha L.）はヨーロッパ、北アフリカに分布し、メイフラワーとよばれ、小高木となり白色一重の5弁花を開く。日本ではセイヨウサンザシの園芸品種で紅色八重咲きのアカバナサンザシがよく植栽される。

［小林義雄　2020年1月21日］

文化史

中国では古くから知られ、紀元前2世紀の『爾雅(じが)』に「」の名で載る。サンザシ属は中国に16種あるが、中南部のサンザシ（野山楂）と北部のオオミサンザシ（山楂大果変種、山里紅）が代表的で、後者は果実が2.5センチメートルにもなり、生食以外に竹の串(くし)に挿し氷砂糖をまぶした氷糖壺、ゼリー（山楂膏）、ジュース（山楂汁）などの加工食品が親しまれてきた。漢方ではサンザシの実を健胃、消化不良、強心などの薬に使う。江戸時代には渡来しており、鉢植えで観賞された（『増補地錦抄(ぞうほちきんしょう)』1710）。セイヨウサンザシはイギリスでは5月に咲き、メイフラワーMay flower（5月の花）とよばれる。ローマ時代から厄除(やくよ)けに使われ、伝説や俗信が多い。

［湯浅浩史　2020年1月21日］

アカバナサンザシ

オオミサンザシの乾燥品

練りサンザシ

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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