Margaret - Margaret (English spelling) marguerite

Japanese: マーガレット - まーがれっと（英語表記）marguerite

A perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, native to the Canary Islands. The species name frutescens means shrub-like, due to the woody stem base, and the Japanese name mokushun-giku (tree spring chrysanthemum) is also due to the same reason. The entire plant is hairless, and the stem is about 1 meter tall and well-branched. The leaves are alternate, fleshy, gray-green or bright green, deeply pinnately lobed, with broad linear lobes that are pointed at the tip. From winter to spring, flower stalks emerge from the leaf axils at the top of the stem, and flower heads about 5 cm in diameter grow at the terminal end. The flower heads are single, with white ray florets and yellow tubular flowers, but there are also double-flowered varieties and varieties with pale yellow ray florets. White-flowered varieties commonly cultivated have 2n = 27 chromosomes, meaning that they are triploid with base number n = 9 and sterile, but in recent years fertile varieties with 2n = 18 chromosomes have been introduced.

In addition to being used as cut flowers, they can also be grown in pots or flower beds. They are best grown in well-drained sandy loam soil, and grow well in areas with a little moisture. They are weak to the cold, so in winter, outside of warm areas, they should be grown in frames or greenhouses. They are propagated by cuttings, which are taken in May or June and planted in August or September. They can also be used as cut flowers in winter, or potted up after the cuttings have taken root. Continuous cultivation should be avoided, as the plant is more susceptible to root rot and wilt diseases.

[Masayuki Okada]

Cultural history

Flowers that are referred to as margarets include daisies and, in the past, daisies, which can cause confusion. The margaret (Paris margaret), native to the Canary Islands, is said to have been introduced to Europe in the mid-16th century (or, according to another theory, the end of the 17th century), and margarets before that were often called daisies. The daisy was also used as a coat of arms by Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI of England. On the other hand, the cold-hardy daisy, which is still often referred to as margaret in Japan today, originally grew wild in Europe, and was called margaret along with daisies in Europe before the Middle Ages. The name margaret is said to come from the Greek word margarites, which refers to the white flowers, but there is another theory that it comes from the fact that it blooms near St. Margaret's Day on July 20th.

[Hiroshi Yuasa]

Margaret
The leaves are fleshy, gray-green or bright green, and deeply pinnately lobed twice. From winter to spring, flower stalks emerge from the leaf axils at the top of the stem, and flower heads grow at the top. The flower heads are single-petaled, with white ray florets and yellow tubular flowers. Japanese name: Mokushungiku ©Shogakukan Photo by Hideyuki Asakura ">

Margaret

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

キク科の多年草。カナリア諸島原産。種名のfrutescensは低木状の意味で、茎の基部が木質化することによるが、和名のモクシュンギク（木春菊）も同様の理由による。全株無毛で、茎は高さ約1メートルで、よく分枝する。葉は互生し、灰緑色または鮮緑色の肉質で、2回羽状に深裂し、裂片は広線形で先はとがる。冬から春、茎上部の葉腋(ようえき)から花茎を出し、径約5センチメートルの頭状花を頂生する。頭花は一重咲きで、舌状花は白色、管状花は黄色が普通であるが、八重咲きの品種や、舌状花が淡黄色の品種もある。一般に広く栽培される白色花の品種は染色体数2n＝27で、基本数n＝9の三倍体で不稔(ふねん)であるが、近年2n＝18の稔性の品種が導入されている。

　切り花にするほか、鉢植えおよび花壇植えにする。栽培は排水のよい砂質壌土が適し、多少水分の多い所でよく育つ。寒さには弱く、冬は暖地以外ではフレームか温室で育てる。繁殖は挿芽により、5～6月に挿し、8～9月に定植し、冬季の切り花にするほか、挿芽活着後に鉢上げする。連作すると根腐(ねぐされ)病や萎凋(いちょう)病にかかりやすくなるので、連作は避ける。

［岡田正順］

文化史

マーガレットの名で扱われる花にはフランスギクや、古くはヒナギクも含まれ、混乱がみられる。カナリア諸島原産のマーガレット（パリス・マーガレット）は、16世紀中ごろ（別説によると17世紀末）にヨーロッパに伝わったとされ、それ以前のマーガレットはヒナギクの場合が多い。イギリスのヘンリー6世の妃のマーガレット・オブ・アンジューが紋章に使ったのもヒナギクである。一方、日本では現在もしばしばマーガレットと俗称されている耐寒性のあるフランスギクは、本来ヨーロッパに自生し、ヒナギクとともにヨーロッパでは中世以前はマーガレットとよばれた。マーガレットの名は、白い花を見立てたギリシア語の真珠マーガライトmargaritesに基づくとされるが、7月20日の聖マーガレットの日の近くに開花するからという異説もある。

［湯浅浩史］

マーガレット

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