Charumelus - Charumelus

A perennial plant of the Saxifragaceae family (APG classification: Saxifragaceae). The rhizome is somewhat thick, grows diagonally upward from the ground, and at the end of the rhizome grows a basal leaf with a long stalk. The leaf blade is broadly ovate with irregular shallow lobes, dark green on the upper side and light green and slightly reddish on the underside. In early spring, it produces a flower stalk densely covered with glandular hairs, and produces small flowers in clusters. The five petals are pinnately divided into 3 to 5 lobes, the lobes are linear, densely glandular, and reddish. There are five stamens, the filaments are short, and are attached to the petals. The ovary is inferior and consists of two carpels, and bears many ovules on the lateral placenta. The capsule splits in two at the top and opens like a trumpet, releasing seeds. The Japanese name was given to this dehiscence, which resembles a trumpet-shaped musical instrument called a charumera. It grows in damp shady areas of mountains and along the edges of mountain streams, and is distributed in Honshu west of the Kinki region, parts of Shikoku, and northern Kyushu.

[Michio Wakabayashi March 18, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ユキノシタ科（APG分類：ユキノシタ科）の多年草。根茎はやや太く、地中から斜め上に伸び、その先に長い柄をもつ根出葉をつける。葉身は広卵形で縁(へり)は不規則に浅裂し、表面は濃緑色、裏面は淡緑色でやや赤みを帯びる。早春、腺毛(せんもう)を密生した花茎を出し、小さい花を総状につける。花弁は5枚、羽状に3～5裂し、裂片は線形で腺点を密につけ、赤みを帯びる。雄しべは5本、花糸は短く、花弁と接してつく。子房は下位、2心皮からなり、側膜胎座に多数の胚珠(はいしゅ)をつける。蒴果(さくか)は上部が二つに裂けてらっぱ状に開き、種子を出す。この裂開のようすをらっぱ状の楽器チャルメラに例えて和名がつけられた。山の湿った陰地や渓流の淵(ふち)などに生え、近畿地方以西の本州、四国の一部、九州北部に分布する。

［若林三千男　2020年3月18日］

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