Madder (Western madder) - Madder (English spelling)

Japanese: セイヨウアカネ(西洋茜) - セイヨウアカネ（英語表記）madder

A perennial plant of the Rubiaceae family cultivated to extract red dye from its roots. It is believed to have originated from Europe to Western Asia, and was cultivated along the Mediterranean coast. The creeping stem is 50-80 cm tall, well branched, and has short thorns. The leaves are broad lanceolate, 3-5 cm long, and grow opposite the stem, but each has two stipules, giving the appearance of a whorl of six leaves. From summer to autumn, the plant produces inflorescences at the ends of the stems and in the axils, and many small pale yellow flowers bloom. The flowers are about 5 mm in diameter, with five lobes at the tip, and have five stamens.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

根から赤色染料を採るために栽培されるアカネ科の多年草。原産地はヨーロッパから西アジアにかけての地域とされ，地中海沿岸で栽培されていた。つる性の茎は高さ50～80cm，よく枝分れし，短いとげがある。葉は広披針形で長さ3～5cm，茎に対生するが，それぞれに2枚の托葉がつくために6枚の葉が輪生しているように見える。夏から秋に，茎端や葉腋（ようえき）に花穂をつけ，淡黄色の小花が多数咲く。花は先端が5裂し直径5mmほど，おしべは5本である。

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

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