Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Japanese: ホウレンソウ(菠薐草) - ホウレンソウ（英語表記）Spinacia oleracea; spinach

It is an annual or biennial herb of the Chenopodiaceae family. Native to western Asia, it is widely cultivated as a vegetable, and was introduced to Japan from China in ancient times. The roots are soft and hairless, and the taproot grows straight and is pale pink and fleshy. The stems are hollow and erect, single or slightly branched. The basal leaves are long ovate with long stalks and pinnate at the bottom. The upper stem leaves are lanceolate. In spring, it produces many yellow-green petalless flowers in spikes or panicles. It is dioecious, with 3-5 female flowers clustered in the leaf axils and male flowers at the ends of the branches. Both female and male flowers have no petals, four small sepals, and four prominent stamens in male flowers. The young leaves are considered an important winter vegetable, and are high in vitamins A and C. They are also used medicinally for constipation. There are many varieties, and the Western species is also cultivated quite widely.

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

Japanese:

アカザ科の一年草または越年草。アジア西部原産で野菜として広く栽培され，日本には古い時代に中国から伝えられた。根は軟らかく無毛で，主根はまっすぐに伸び，淡紅色をした肉質である。茎は中空で直立し，単一またはわずかに分枝する。根出葉は長い柄のある長卵形で下部は羽裂する。上部の茎葉は披針形。春に，穂状または円錐花序をなして黄緑色の花弁のない花を多数つける。雌雄異株で，雌花は葉腋に3～5個集ってつき，雄花は枝先につく。雌花，雄花とも花弁はなく，小さな萼片が4個あり，雄花では4本のおしべが目立つ。若い葉は冬の重要な野菜とされ，ビタミンAとCの含有量が多い。また便秘症の薬用にもされる。種々の品種があり，西洋種もかなり広く栽培されている。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Enamel - Enamel

>>: Horeki Flood Control Incident - Horeki Flood Control Incident