Choma (ramie) - Choma

Japanese: チョマ(苧麻) - チョマ

Also known as ramie, mao, or ramie. A perennial plant of the Urticaceae family that grows in fields and mountains, especially near dwellings. It is found in eastern and southern Asia, and in Japan from Honshu to Okinawa, but since it has long been cultivated as a fiber crop, it is unclear how far it grows wild. The stems are 1.2 to 2.4 meters tall, turn brown when mature, and the leaves are broadly ovate with dense white fluff on the underside. The flowers are unisexual and monoecious. Strong fibers can be extracted from the stems, which are also water-resistant and are used to make ropes, fire hoses, etc. It is also excellent for weaving fabrics, especially summer clothing, and Echigo-jofu and Miyako-jofu are well known.
→Related topics Hemp (hemp) | Plant fiber | Fiber crops | Yamagata Domain

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

カラムシ，マオ，ラミーとも。山野，特に人家近くにはえるイラクサ科の多年草。アジア東部〜南部，日本では本州〜沖縄に分布するが，古くから繊維作物として栽培されているため，どこまでが自生かははっきりしない。茎は高さ1.2〜2.4m，成熟すると茶褐色となり，葉は広卵形で，裏面には白綿毛を密生する。花は単性で雌雄同株。茎からはじょうぶな繊維がとれ，水にも強いので，ロープ，消火ホースなどにする。また織物とくに夏着として優れ，越後上布，宮古上布などが知られる。
→関連項目アサ（麻）｜植物繊維｜繊維作物｜山形藩

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