White jasmine - White jasmine

A deciduous tall tree of the Styrax family (APG classification: Styrax family). It is also called Oobajisha, and its scientific name, Obassia , is based on this name. The bark is dark gray, the twigs are bald, and the winter buds are wrapped at the base of the petiole. The leaves are alternate, oval, 10-20 cm long, with shallowly cut sawtoothed edges, and the underside is gray-white and densely covered with stellate hairs. In May and June, the tree produces racemes 8-17 cm long at the ends of the branches, with many white flowers that open downward. The corolla is deeply divided into five lobes and about 2 cm long. The fruits are oval, about 1.5 cm long, and densely covered with white stellate hairs. It grows in mountainous areas, and is distributed from Hokkaido to Kyushu, as well as the Korean Peninsula and China. It is planted as a garden tree, and the wood is pale yellow-white and dense, and is used for wheel-throwing. The name comes from the fact that the white flowers in full bloom on the tree resemble white clouds.

[Yoshio Kobayashi April 16, 2021]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

エゴノキ科（APG分類：エゴノキ科）の落葉高木。オオバジシャともいい、学名のobassiaはこの名に基づいた。樹皮は暗灰色で、小枝は表皮がはげ、冬芽は葉柄の基部に包まれる。葉は互生し、卵円形で長さ10～20センチメートル、縁(へり)に浅く切れ込む鋸歯(きょし)があり、裏面は灰白色で星状毛が密生する。5～6月、枝先に8～17センチメートルの総状花序をつくり、多数の白色花を下向きに開く。花冠は深く5裂し、長さ約2センチメートル。果実は卵円形で長さ約1.5センチメートル、白い星状毛を密生する。山地に生え、北海道から九州、および朝鮮半島、中国に分布する。庭木として植え、材は淡黄白色、緻密(ちみつ)でろくろ細工に用いる。名は、樹上に白色花が満開になったようすを白雲に見立てたもの。

［小林義雄　2021年4月16日］

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