Pyracantha - Pyracantha

Japanese: ピラカンサ - ぴらかんさ

A general term for the genus Pyracantha in the family Rosaceae (APG classification: Rosaceae). Six species are found in southeastern Europe, the Himalayas, and southwestern China. In Japan, P. angustifolia (Fr.) Schneider, also known as P. nigricans, is native to southwestern China and was introduced to Japan in the mid-Meiji period. It is an evergreen shrub that grows to 2-3 meters in height. It branches out from the base, and the ends of the short branches become sharp thorns. The leaves are alternate, linear oblong, 3-5 cm long, rounded at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, and almost no sawtooth on the edges. They are leathery, dark green and hairless on the upper surface, and gray-white and densely covered with soft hairs on the underside. In May and June, it produces a corymb that produces 5-15 white flowers, each about 8 mm in diameter. The inflorescence and sepals are densely hairy, and the petals are five-petaled and obovate. The pear-shaped fruit is flattened and globular, about 7 mm in diameter, with the sepals remaining at the top. It ripens orange-yellow in late autumn and remains on the plant through winter. The name refers to the orange-yellow fruit, which resembles a Japanese tachibana. P. coccinea (L.) Roem. is native to western Asia from southern Europe and was introduced to Japan in the mid-Meiji period. It is a large evergreen shrub with thorns at the ends of short branches. The leaves are alternate, narrowly obovate or obovate, 2-4 cm long, slightly rounded at the tips, and have low, blunt sawtooth edges. The underside is pale green and hairless except at the base edge. It produces white five-petaled flowers in May and June. The fruits are flattened and spherical, and ripen to a bright red color. P. crenulata (Roxb.) Roem. is also known as the Himalayan firethorn or Indian firethorn, and is native to western China from the Himalayas, and was introduced to Japan in the early Showa period. It is a large evergreen shrub with thorny short branches. The leaves are alternate, oblanceolate or narrowly oblong, 2-7 cm long, thinner than those of the firethorn, with bluntly pointed or rounded tips, finely sawtoothed edges, and hairless on both sides. It produces white five-petaled flowers in May and June. The fruits are flattened and spherical, and ripen to a bright red color in late autumn. P. crenulata is often used as a hedge, while P. crenulata and P. crenulata are used as garden trees, bonsai, and flower arrangements to appreciate their fruits.

[Yoshio Kobayashi January 21, 2020]

Cultivation

It is somewhat cold-resistant and is planted in the Kanto region and west. It grows well in sunny areas and is not picky about soil type. It grows quickly and needs to be pruned every year to keep its shape. It is propagated by cuttings and seeds.

[Yoshio Kobayashi January 21, 2020]

Cultural history

The Diannan Compendium of Materia Medica, written by Lan Mao (1397-1476) of Yunnan Province, China, records that the fruit, under the name of red yangzi, is used as a medicine for postpartum uterine bleeding, for anthelmintics, and for improving eyesight. The current Chinese name for pyracantha is Hira, derived from the Latin genus name, but the Diannan Compendium of Materia Medica lists other names such as Kyugunrou, Sekka, Junyoushi, and Hihakka. Dan Sui's Saroku of Nongbu states that the name Kyugunrou comes from the fact that soldiers ate the fruit when Wu Hou was on an expedition to the south.

[Hiroshi Yuasa January 21, 2020]

False Tachibana
The leaves are linear and oblong, with rounded tips. The pear fruits are flattened and spherical, and ripen to orange-yellow in late autumn. They are often used as hedges. Also known as Narrow-leaved Hawthorn ©Seishohmaru ">

False Tachibana

Firethorn
The leaves are narrowly obovate or obovate, with low, blunt sawtooth on the leaf margins. From November to December, it produces dense bright red fruits. The photo shows the horticultural variety Rosedale ©Seishohmaru ">

Firethorn

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

バラ科（APG分類：バラ科）トキワサンザシ属の総称。ヨーロッパ南東部からヒマラヤ、中国西南部に6種分布する。日本ではタチバナモドキ、トキワサンザシ、カザンデマリがよく栽培され、これらを含めて一般にピラカンサの名でよんでいる。タチバナモドキP. angustifolia (Fr.) Schneiderはホソバノトキワサンザシともいい、中国西南部原産で明治の中ごろ渡来した。常緑低木で高さ2～3メートル。根元から枝を分け、短枝の先は鋭い刺(とげ)になる。葉は互生し、線状長楕円(ちょうだえん)形で長さ3～5センチメートル、先は丸みを帯び、基部はくさび形、縁(へり)にほとんど鋸歯(きょし)がない。革質で表面は濃緑色で無毛、裏面は灰白色で軟毛を密生する。5～6月、散房状花序をつくり、径約8ミリメートルの白色花を5～15個開く。花序および萼片(がくへん)は線毛を密生し、花弁は5枚で倒卵形。なし状果は扁平(へんぺい)な球形で径約7ミリメートル、頂に萼片が残る。晩秋に橙黄(とうこう)色に熟し、冬の間もついている。名は、橙黄色の果実をタチバナになぞらえていう。トキワサンザシP. coccinea (L.) Roem.は南ヨーロッパからアジア西部原産で明治の中ごろ渡来した。常緑大低木で、短枝の先は刺になる。葉は互生し、狭倒卵形または倒卵形で長さ2～4センチメートル、先はやや丸く、縁に低くて鈍い鋸歯がある。裏面は淡緑色で、基部の縁以外は毛がない。5～6月、白色の5弁花を開く。果実は扁平な球形、鮮紅色に熟す。カザンデマリP. crenulata (Roxb.) Roem.はヒマラヤトキワサンザシ、インドトキワサンザシともいい、ヒマラヤから中国西部原産で昭和初年に渡来した。常緑大低木で、短枝は刺になる。葉は互生し、倒披針(とうひしん)形または狭長楕円形で長さ2～7センチメートル、トキワサンザシより細く、先は鈍くとがるか、もしくは丸く、縁に細かい鋸歯があって両面は毛がない。5～6月、白色の5弁花を開く。果実は扁平な球形、晩秋に鮮紅色に熟す。タチバナモドキは生け垣に多く用いられ、トキワサンザシ、カザンデマリは庭木、盆栽、いけ花などにして果実を観賞する。

［小林義雄　2020年1月21日］

栽培

やや耐寒性があり、関東地方以西に植えられる。日当りでよく育ち、土質はとくに選ばない。成長は速く、毎年剪定(せんてい)をして樹形を整える。繁殖は挿木、実生(みしょう)による。

［小林義雄　2020年1月21日］

文化史

中国雲南省の蘭茂(らんも)（1397―1476）の著した『滇南本草(しんなんほんぞう)』に、赤陽子(せきようし)の名で、果実が産後の子宮出血、虫下し、目をよくするなどの薬として記載がある。ピラカンサの現在の中国名は、ラテン語の属名に由来する火棘(ひら)であるが、『滇南本草』には救軍粮(きゅうぐんろう)、赤果(せっか)、純陽子(じゅんようし)、火把果(ひはっか)などの異名が掲げられている。救軍粮の名を檀萃(だんすい)の『農部瑣録(さろく)』は、武侯が南征のおり、軍士が果実を食べたからであると述べている。

［湯浅浩史　2020年1月21日］

タチバナモドキ

トキワサンザシ

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