Deutzia gracilis - Deutzia gracilis

A deciduous shrub of the Coriaceae family (APG classification: Coriaceae). It branches out from the base of the trunk and grows to a height of about 1.5 meters. The leaves grow in two opposite rows on square branches, and appear to be pinnately compound. The leaf blade is ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5-8 cm long, entire, with a pointed tip and a rounded base. The flowers are unisexual and monoecious. In spring, the racemes grow in bunches at the nodes of the branches. The male inflorescences are short, while the female inflorescences are slightly longer and grow side by side. Both male and female flowers have five sepals and five petals. The male flowers have five stamens and yellow anthers. The female flowers have five degenerate stamens and five ovaries with red styles. The fruit consists of five achenes, surrounded by fleshy persistent petals. The juice is sweet, but contains deadly poisons such as Korean miltin and tutin, which can be fatal if eaten by mistake, hence the name Dokutsugi, and also known as Ichirobegoroshi (Ichirobei Killer). It grows on gravel ground such as riverbeds in mountains and fields, and is distributed in Honshu, Hokkaido, north of the Kinki region.

The family Coriariaceae is a dicotyledonous, polypetalous plant. It is a shrub. The leaves are opposite and simple. The flowers are pentamerous and actinosymmetric. The fruit consists of 5 or 10 achenes. It is distributed scattered throughout both the northern and southern hemispheres, with 15 known species in one genus.

[Kyoshio Furusawa February 17, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドクウツギ科（APG分類：ドクウツギ科）の落葉低木。幹の基部から多く分枝して茂り、高さ約1.5メートル。葉は四角形の枝に左右2列に対生し、外見上は羽状複葉にみえる。葉身は卵状長楕円(ちょうだえん)形または長楕円状披針(ひしん)形で長さ5～8センチメートル、全縁で先はとがり、基部は丸い。単性花で雌雄同株。春、枝の節に総状花序を束生する。雄花序は短く、雌花序はやや長く、並んで出る。雄花、雌花ともに萼片(がくへん)5枚、花弁5枚。雄花には5本の雄しべがあり、葯(やく)は黄色。雌花には退化した5本の雄しべと、花柱が赤色の子房が5個ある。果実は5個の痩果(そうか)からなり、多肉質となった宿存花弁に包まれる。汁は甘味があるが、コリアミルチン、ツチンなどの猛毒を含み、誤って食べると死ぬこともあるのでドクウツギの名があり、別名イチロベゴロシ（市郎兵衛殺）ともいう。山野の河原などの礫地(れきち)に生え、近畿地方以北の本州、北海道に分布する。

　ドクウツギ科Coriariaceaeは双子葉植物、離弁花類。低木。葉は対生で単葉。花は5数性で放射相称。果実は5または10個の痩果からなる。南北両半球にとびとびに分布し1属15種が知られる。

［古澤潔夫　2020年2月17日］

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