Balsam flower

Japanese: 鳳仙花 - ほうせんか

〘Noun〙 An annual plant of the Balsaminaceae family. Native to Southeast Asia, it is cultivated for ornamental purposes. The entire plant is soft and succulent, reaching a height of 30-60cm. The leaves are stalked, alternate, lanceolate, and have fine sawtooth edges. In summer, two to three irregular flowers bloom horizontally in the leaf axils. The flowers are white, pink, red, and some are striped or double-flowered. The fruit is spindle-shaped. When ripe, it scatters seeds. In the past, the flowers were used to make tsumabeni (claw nail polish) . Chinese name: housenka. Not to be tsumaku. Bonenuki. Tsumabeni. [Season: Autumn] [Shakuso Orai (1439-64)] *Katawaretsuki (1901) by Kaneko Kunen: “On an evening sun, when the light shines upon the balsam flowers, their fruits naturally split open, and autumn approaches.” [Satuha - Title: Rojoketsu Kanshi] [Etymology] (1) In China, it appears in herbal medicine books from the Song dynasty, and it is thought to have been introduced to Japan from China.
(2) Its other name, "Bone-Nuki," comes from the belief that if one ingests these seeds when a fish bone gets stuck in one's throat, the bone will soften and be removed.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙ツリフネソウ科の一年草。東南アジア原産で、観賞用に栽培される。全草柔らかく多汁質で高さ三〇～六〇センチメートル。葉は有柄で互生し、披針形で縁に細鋸歯がある。夏、葉腋に不整斉花が二～三個ずつ横向きに咲く。花は白・桃・赤など、絞りや八重咲きのものもある。果実は紡錘形。熟したものに触れると種子を散らす。古くは花を爪紅(つまべに)に用いた。漢名、鳳仙花。つまくれない。ほねぬき。つまべに。《季・秋》〔尺素往来（1439‐64）〕※片われ月（1901）〈金子薫園〉「鳳仙花照らすゆふ日におのづからその実のわれて秋くれむとす」〔薩都剌‐題呂城葛観詩〕[語誌](1)中国では宋代の本草書に見え、日本にも中国から渡来したものと思われる。
(2)異名のホネヌキは、魚の骨が喉にささった時、この種子を服用すれば骨が軟らかくなってとれると信じられていたところからの命名。

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