White alder - White alder

It is an evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family (APG classification: Lauraceae) that reaches a height of 15 meters. The trunk is purple-brown and the branches are green. The leaves are elliptical, 8-18 cm long, with three prominent veins, green on the upper side and white on the underside. Dioecious. The flowers bloom in October-November in umbels that grow in the leaf axils, and are pale yellow. The fruits are elliptical berries that ripen red. They are found in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa from the southern Tohoku region, and grow in mountains and fields in warm regions, and are common near the coast. They are also found in the Korean Peninsula and China. Tamo (the origin of the word is unknown) is the general name for this species, and is named after the white underside of the leaves. The wood is used for utensils, and wax for candles is extracted from the seeds (called tsuduro). There are about 80 species of the genus Amplexica in Eastern and Southern Asia.

[Yuichi Kadota, August 21, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

クスノキ科（APG分類：クスノキ科）の常緑高木で高さ15メートルに達する。幹は紫褐色、枝は緑色。葉は楕円(だえん)形、長さ8～18センチメートル、3脈が目だち、表面は緑色で裏面は白色。雌雄異株。花は10～11月、葉腋(ようえき)から出た散形花序につき、淡黄色。果実は液果で楕円形、赤く熟す。東北地方南部以西の本州、四国、九州、沖縄に分布し、暖地の山野に生え、海岸に近い所に多い。朝鮮半島、中国にも分布する。タモ（語源は不明）はこの種の仲間の総称で、葉の裏が白いためこの名がある。材を器具材などに利用し、種子からろうそく用のろうをとる（ツヅろうという）。シロダモ属は東・南アジアに80種ほどある。

［門田裕一　2018年8月21日］

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