Aspidistra elatior; cast-iron plant

Japanese: ハラン(葉蘭) - ハラン（英語表記）Aspidistra elatior; cast-iron plant

An evergreen perennial plant of the lily family. Native to China, it has long been cultivated in warm areas of Japan for ornamental and medicinal purposes. It grows on a long underground stem and produces many large, long-elliptical leaves with long stalks. The leaves are leathery and dark green. In spring, it produces single, dark purple, urn-shaped flowers about 3 to 4 cm in diameter attached to the rhizome. It has eight tepals. The fruit is a spherical berry. The leaves are used in flower arranging. The rhizome is used as a diuretic, cardiac tonic, and tonic, and the seeds are used medicinally for tuberculosis, pleurisy, fever, and cough suppressant. Like the omoto, there are many garden specimens due to the pattern of the leaf spots, and they are collected by enthusiasts.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ユリ科の常緑の多年草。中国原産で，日本の暖地に観賞用および薬用として古くから栽培されている。長い地下茎をはわせ，長楕円形で長柄をもつ大きな葉を多数つける。葉質は革質で濃緑色。春に，根茎に接して径3～4cmほどの暗紫色で壺形の花を単生する。花被片は8枚。果実は球形の液果。葉は生け花に利用される。根茎は利尿，強心，強壮剤とされ，種子は結核，肋膜炎，解熱，咳止めなどの薬用。葉の斑 (ふ) のあり方などでオモトと同様に多くの園芸品があり，愛好家の収集の対象とされる。

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