Hinoki - Hinoki

A small evergreen tree of the Cupressaceae family (APG classification: Cupressaceae). It grows to a height of 5-10 meters. The bark is smooth and dark brown, and the branches are dark reddish brown and thin. The leaves are alternate, narrow ovate or egg-shaped, 4-7 cm long, and elongate to a tail-like tip, with shallowly wavy sawtooth edges. The leaves are thin and leathery with no hairs, have a slightly glossy surface, and turn yellowish green when dry. In May, the axils produce corymbs with 3-6 white flowers. The corolla is deeply divided into 5 lobes, 1-1.2 cm in diameter, and has many stamens that are almost the same length as the lobes, and one pistil. The calyx is 5 lobes and triangular ovate. The fruit is narrow ovate, 6-8 mm long, and ripens in October to a purple-black color. It grows in mountainous areas and is found from Honshu west of the Kinki region to Kyushu. Its name comes from the fact that the branches and leaves are burned to make ash. The ash in the leaves is particularly rich in aluminum oxide, which produces a high-quality lye that is used for dyeing. The branches are flexible and strong, and can be twisted to tie firewood together. It is also known as Inokoshiba, which comes from the fact that when people shot wild boars, they would tie their feet with this brush and carry them home. The wood is dense and somewhat hard, and is used to make utensils and crafts. The black laurel of the same genus also produces a high-quality lye, so it is sometimes called Hinoki.

The genus Cypress has about 300 species distributed in Asia, Australia, and America.

[Yoshio Kobayashi April 16, 2021]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ハイノキ科（APG分類：ハイノキ科）の常緑小高木。高さ5～10メートル。樹皮は滑らかで暗褐色、枝は暗赤褐色で細い。葉は互生し、狭卵形または卵形で長さ4～7センチメートル、先は尾状に長く伸び、縁(へり)に波状に浅く切れ込む鋸歯(きょし)がある。葉質はやや薄い革質で毛はなく、表面にすこしつやがあり、乾くと黄緑色になる。5月ころ、葉腋(ようえき)に散房状に総状花序をつくり、白色花を3～6個開く。花冠は深く5裂し、径1～1.2センチメートル、裂片とほぼ同じ長さの雄しべが多数あり、雌しべは1本。萼(がく)は5裂し、三角状卵形である。果実は狭卵形で長さ6～8ミリメートル、10月、紫黒色に熟す。山地に生え、近畿地方以西の本州から九州に分布する。名は、枝葉を焼いて灰をつくることによる。葉の灰分には、とくに酸化アルミニウムが多く、良質の灰汁(あく)がとれ、染色に利用する。枝は柔軟で強く、ねじって薪などを縛る。別名イノコシバともいうが、これは、イノシシを射止めたとき、この柴(しば)で足を縛って担ぎ帰ったことからついた。材は緻密(ちみつ)でやや堅く、器具、細工物にする。同属のクロバイも良質の灰汁がとれるので、ハイノキと称されることがある。

　ハイノキ属はアジア、オーストラリア、アメリカに約300種分布する。

［小林義雄　2021年4月16日］

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