Mishimasaiko - Mishimasaiko

A perennial herb of the Umbelliferae family (APG classification: Umbelliferae). It is widely distributed in Eurasia, and in Japan, it grows wild in mountain grasslands in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. There are many variations in the shape and size of the leaves and fruits, so it is divided into many subspecies and varieties. The roots are somewhat thick and short. The stems are erect, 40-100 cm tall, thin and stiff, branched from the middle or higher, zigzag, and glabrous throughout. The leaves are alternate, linear to broad linear, stiff, entire, tapering at the apex and base, and stalkless. The basal leaves have long stalks. The veins are 5-7 parallel. The flowers are yellow, bloom from August to October, and many small compound umbels are produced at the ends of the branches. The small umbels consist of 5-10 flowers, and have 5 small involucres. The involucres have 1-3 involucres. The five petals curve inwards from the center, and there are five stamens in the inferior ovary. The fruit is elliptical and about 3 mm long.

The Chinese name for this variety is Saiko, and it was written as Mako in the past. In traditional Chinese medicine, the root is used as an antipyretic and analgesic to treat colds, hepatitis, cholecystitis, malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, and digestive diseases. The most famous prescription is Shosaikoto, which is used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis, malaria, otitis media, cholelithiasis, gastric catarrh, and improve weak constitutions in children. In the past, the ones grown in Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures were considered the best quality, and were called Mishima Saiko and Kamakura Saiko, but they are no longer available due to overfishing.

[Motoo Nagasawa December 14, 2021]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

セリ科（APG分類：セリ科）の多年草。ユーラシア大陸に広く分布し、日本では本州、四国、九州の山地の草地に自生する。葉と果実の形と大きさには変異が多いため、多くの亜種と変種に分けられる。根はやや太くて短い。茎は直立し、高さ40～100センチメートル、細くて堅く、中部以上で分枝し、ジグザグに曲がり、全株無毛である。葉は互生し、線形ないし広線形で堅く、全縁、先も基部もしだいに細くなり、柄はない。根生葉は長い柄をもつ。葉脈は5～7条の平行脈。花は黄色で、8～10月に開き、枝の先に多数の小さい複散形花序をつける。小散形花序は5～10個の花からなり、小総包片は5個。総包片は1～3個。5個の花弁は中央部から内側に曲がり、雄蕊(ゆうずい)は5個で、子房下位。果実は楕円(だえん)形で長さ約3ミリメートル。

　この種類を漢名では柴胡(さいこ)といい、古くは茈胡と書いた。根を漢方では解熱・鎮痛剤として、感冒、肝炎、胆嚢(たんのう)炎、マラリア、肺結核、消化器病などの治療に用いる。処方としては小柴胡湯(しょうさいことう)がもっとも有名で、肺結核、マラリア、中耳炎、胆石症、胃カタル、小児の虚弱体質の改善などに用いられる。かつては、静岡県と神奈川県に産するものが最良品とされ、三島柴胡、鎌倉(かまくら)柴胡とよばれたが、乱獲のため、すでになくなっている。

［長沢元夫　2021年12月14日］

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