Hitori Shizuka - Hitori Shizuka

Japanese: ヒトリシズカ - ひとりしずか

A perennial herb of the family Xanthaceae (APG classification: Xanthaceae). 15-30 cm tall. The leaves are simple and opposite, but because the spacing between the two pairs of leaves is close, it looks like a whorl of four leaves at the top of the stem. The flowering season is April-May. The inflorescence is a single spike, initially surrounded by four leaves. The bracts are ovate. The flowers are small, white, bisexual, and have no perianth. The three stamens are thread-like, 4-6 mm long, white, and conspicuous. The bases are fused together and further fused to the back of the ovary. The central stamen has no anthers. The fruits are globular and pale green. They grow in grasslands and forests, and are distributed in Japan, the southern Kuril Islands, the Korean Peninsula, China, etc. The Japanese anemone, which is very similar to this species, has opposite leaves but not in a whorl, and its stamens are 1 cm long, with the central stamen also having an anther.

[Yuji Omori July 20, 2018]

Cultural history

In the Koekichikinsho (1719), it is treated as a medicinal herb and illustrated under the name Gyu-i, but there is no mention of Hitori Shizuka. The description reads, "It is a small plant of about three or four inches, but it is nice to look at it in a pot...", which shows that it was also cultivated for ornamental purposes at the time. In the Wakan Sansai Zue (1713), it is named Yoshino Shizu, and in the Choshu Honzo Komoku Keimo (1844), it is written, "Hitori Shizuka is also called Yoshino Shizuka," and in the late Edo period, the name Hitori Shizuka became widespread in contrast to Futari Shizuka.

[Hiroshi Yuasa July 20, 2018]

[Reference] | Futari Shizuka

Japanese larkspur
The leaves are simple and opposite, but two pairs are in contact with each other, so it looks like four leaves are in a whorl. The inflorescence is a single spike. The white bisexual flowers have no perianth. The flowering season is from April to May. ©Shogakukan Photo by Masatoshi Hirose ">

Japanese larkspur

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

センリョウ科（APG分類：センリョウ科）の多年草。高さ15～30センチメートル。葉は単葉で対生するが、2対の葉の間隔が詰まっているので、茎の上部で4枚が輪生しているようにみえる。花期は4～5月。花序は穂状で1本、初め4枚の葉に包まれる。包葉は卵形。花は小さく、白色の両性花で花被(かひ)はない。雄しべは3本、糸状で長さ4～6ミリメートル、白色でよく目だつ。基部は互いに合生し、さらに子房の背面に合着する。中央の雄しべには葯(やく)がない。果実は球形で淡緑色。草原や林内に生え、日本、および南千島、朝鮮半島、中国などに分布する。本種によく似たキビヒトリシズカは、葉は対生するが輪生状にならず、雄しべは長さ1センチメートル、中央の雄しべにも葯がある。

［大森雄治　2018年7月20日］

文化史

『広益地錦抄(こうえきちきんしょう)』（1719）には薬草として、及已(ぎゅうい)の名で扱われ図示されているが、ヒトリシズカの名はない。その説明には「三、四寸の小草なるがあひらしく鉢にうへてながめ……」とあり、当時、観賞栽培もされていたことがわかる。『和漢三才図会(わかんさんさいずえ)』（1713）には吉野静(よしのしず)とされ、『重修本草綱目啓蒙(けいもう)』（1844）で「ヒトリシヅカ一名ヨシノシヅカと云(いう)」とあり、江戸後期にはフタリシズカとの対比で、ヒトリシズカの名が広がった。

［湯浅浩史　2018年7月20日］

[参照項目] | フタリシズカ

ヒトリシズカ

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

<<: One-man sumo - Hitorizumo

>>: Solitary judgment - Judgment by one person