Blue vine - Blue vine

Japanese: アオカズラ - あおかずら

A climbing deciduous shrub of the Awabenaceae family that grows in sparse forests in warm regions, it is named Aokazura (blue kudzu) because its branches are green. The branches are wavy and curved, and when young, they are covered with short hairs. The leaves are alternate, egg-elliptical with acute ends, entire, and dark green with a glossy surface, 4-9 cm long, with petioles 7-14 mm long. After the leaves fall, the base becomes lignified and the tip becomes bifurcated. Around March, earlier than the leaves, bunches of 1-3 flowers grow on 4-6 mm stalks from the axils of the previous year's leaves. The flowers are yellow, 6-7 mm in diameter, with 5 petals and 5 stamens.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

暖地の疎林中に生えるアワブキ科のつる性落葉低木で，枝が緑色なので青葛（あおかずら）の名を得た。枝はうねって曲がり，若い時は短毛を帯びる。葉は互生し，卵状楕円形で両端が鋭形，全縁，表面は深緑色で光沢があり，長さ4～9cm，葉柄は長さ7～14mmで，落葉後，その基部が木化し，先端が二叉（にさ）になって残る。3月ごろ葉より早く，前年の葉腋（ようえき）から4～6mmの柄で1～3個の花を束生する。花は黄色で径6～7mm，花弁は5個，おしべは5本。

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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