Magnolia grandiflora (bulb bay) - Magnolia grandiflora (bulb bay)

Japanese: タイサンボク(泰山木) - タイサンボク（英語表記）Magnolia grandiflora; bull bay

An evergreen tall tree of the Magnoliaceae family. Native to southern North America, it was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period and is often planted in parks and gardens. It can reach a height of 30m, with thick branches and a beautiful shape. The bark is light brown and thin, with scale-like peeling. The leaves are alternate, thick, large, oblong, entire, glossy on the upper side, and densely covered with reddish-brown hairs on the underside. In early summer, large white flowers with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm appear at the tips of the branches. The flowers have a strong fragrance, and three sepals are petal-like, and the petals, which usually number six, are obovate and thick. There are many stamens and purple filaments. The fruits are ellipsoidal, about 8 cm long, covered with greenish-white short hairs, and ripen in late autumn. After maturity, the carpels split open to release red seeds. In the United States, the leaves are used for Christmas decorations.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

モクレン科の常緑高木。北アメリカ南部の原産で，日本には明治初期に伝えられ，公園や庭によく植えられている。樹高 30mに達し，枝は太く樹形が美しい。樹皮は淡褐色で薄く，鱗状にはげる。葉は互生し，厚く大型の長楕円形全縁で表面に光沢があり，裏面には赤褐色の毛が密生する。初夏に，枝の先端に直径 15～20cmもの大型の白色花をつける。花は強い芳香を放ち，3枚の萼片が花弁状になり，さらに，普通6枚ある花弁は倒卵形で厚い。おしべは多数で花糸が紫色。果実は長さ 8cmほどの楕円体で緑白色の短毛におおわれ晩秋に熟する。成熟後心皮が開裂し赤色の種子を放出する。アメリカではこの葉をクリスマスの装飾に用いる。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

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