Suiran - Suiran

Japanese: スイラン - すいらん

A perennial plant of the Asteraceae family that grows in marshes in the mountains and fields (illustration). It is endemic to Japan, distributed west of Nagano Prefecture in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. White, creeping branches about 15 cm long grow underground from an obliquely ascending rhizome, and reproduce vegetatively. The stem is upright and about 1 m tall. The underside of the leaves is powdery white, and the basal leaves are linear lanceolate and up to 50 cm long. The leaves resemble orchids, and the plant is called Suiran (water orchid) because it grows in marshes. When cut, a white milky liquid comes out. Around September to October, the tip of the stem branches and produces yellow flower heads about 3 to 3.5 cm in diameter.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

山野の湿地に生えるキク科の多年草（イラスト）。日本固有種で，本州の長野県以西，四国，九州に分布する。斜上する根茎から，長さ15cmほどの白色の匍匐（ほふく）枝が地中に伸び，栄養繁殖を行う。茎は直立して高さ1m内外。葉は裏面が粉白をおび，根出葉は線状披針形で長さ50cmになる。葉形がランに似ており，湿地に生えるところからスイラン(水蘭)とよばれる。切ると白い乳液が出る。9～10月ごろ，茎の先が分枝し，黄色の径3～3.5cmほどの頭花をつける。

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

<<: Inference - inference (English spelling)

>>: Torpedo - Suirai