Purple (Lithospermum erythrorhizon)

Japanese: ムラサキ(紫) - ムラサキ（英語表記）Lithospermum erythrorhizon

A perennial plant of the family Violaceae, distributed in the temperate zone of East Asia. It grows in sunny, dry grasslands and mountain areas, and is found in almost all areas of Japan. It was once a representative wild plant of Musashino. The stems are erect and reach a height of 30-70 cm, and the roots are thick and turn deep purple when dry. The stems and leaves are covered with long coarse hairs, and the leaves are alternate, stalkless, lanceolate, 4-6 cm long. In June and July, short spike-like inflorescences appear among the leaf-like bracts, and bear several small white flowers. The calyx is deeply divided into five parts, and the petals are divided into five parts and open flat, 4-5 mm in diameter, with five scales at the top of the flower tube. The fruits are small, shiny, and gray-white in color. The roots have long been used as a medicine for skin diseases and as a purple dye, and are still sometimes cultivated today.

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

Japanese:

ムラサキ科の多年草で，東アジアの温帯に分布する。日当りのよい乾燥した草原や山地に生え，日本ではほぼ全域に自生する。かつては武蔵野の代表的な野草でもあった。茎は直立して高さ 30～70cmとなり，根は太くて乾くと濃紫色となる。茎と葉には長い粗毛があり，葉は互生し無柄で長さ4～6cmの披針形である。6～7月に，葉状の包葉の間に短い穂状の花序を出し，白色の小花を数個つける。萼は5深裂し，花弁は5裂して平らに開き，径4～5mmで花筒の上部に5個の鱗片がある。果実は灰白色で光沢があり小さい。根は古くから皮膚病薬や紫色の染料として用いられ，現在でも栽培されることがある。

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