Berry Berry - Berry Berry

Japanese: ムラサキシキブ - むらさきしきぶ

A deciduous shrub of the Verbenaceae family (APG classification: Lamiaceae). The leaves are opposite, elliptical or oblong, 6-12 cm long, pointed at both ends, with sawtoothed edges, and pale yellow glandular dots on the underside. In June and July, cymes are produced at or slightly above the base of the leaves, and many small pale purple flowers bloom. The corolla is four-lobed, and the stamens and pistils protrude from the corolla. The fruits are small and globular, ripening to a beautiful purple color in October and November. Commonly grows in mountains and fields, distributed from southwestern Hokkaido to Kyushu, the Korean Peninsula, and China. There are many variations, and the white bean has white fruits. The variety, the large-flowered bean, has large leaves and inflorescences and grows near the coast of southern Japan. They are used as garden trees and cut flowers, and their trunks are used for tool handles, walking sticks, chopsticks, etc. The genus Veronica has about 140 species, mainly found in the tropics and subtropics.

[Yoshio Kobayashi September 17, 2021]

Cultural history

It is generally believed to be connected to Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, but there is no direct connection. It has been used in flower arranging since the Edo period, and appears in the Rikka Shodoshu (1684) and Nageire Flower Tradition Book (1684) under the name Mimurasaki. The latter contains the passage "The plant seller was called Murasaki Shikibu," indicating that the name of the plant spread from its decorative name in business. The Yamato Honzo (1709) also lists the dialects Murasakishikimi and Komurasaki as Tamamurasaki. There is also a theory that this "shikimi" is a corruption of "shikimi" or "shigemi" or "shigemi," and that the name "murasakishikibu" comes from "Murasakishikimi" or "Murasakishigemi" (Shigemi).

[Hiroshi Yuasa September 17, 2021]

Purple bark
In June and July, cymes are formed at or slightly above the base of the leaves, and many small pale purple flowers bloom. The corolla is divided into four parts, and the stamens and pistils protrude from the corolla. ©Seishohmaru ">

Purple bark

Berberis fruit
They are spherical, about 4mm in diameter, and ripen to a beautiful purple color in October and November. ©Seishohmaru

Berberis fruit

Berry
A variety of the Japanese bean currant with large leaves and inflorescences. The leaves are glossy and thick, with large sawtooth edges. From June to July, it produces cymes in the leaf axils and bears pale purple flowers. ©Seishohmaru ">

Berry

The fruit of the Japanese bean
It is spherical and ripens purple in autumn. There is an intermediate form between this plant and the Japanese bark bean, and some individuals are indistinguishable from the original. ©Seishohmaru ">

The fruit of the Japanese bean

Clerodendron amplexicaule, Barberry (tree form)
©Junzo Fujishima ">

Clerodendron amplexicaule, Barberry (tree form)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

クマツヅラ科（APG分類：シソ科）の落葉低木。葉は対生し、楕円(だえん)形または長楕円形で長さ6～12センチメートル、両端はとがり、縁(へり)に鋸歯(きょし)があり、裏面に淡黄色の腺点(せんてん)がある。6～7月、葉の付け根またはすこし上に集散花序をつくり、小さな淡紫色花を多数開く。花冠は4裂し、雄しべと雌しべは花冠から飛び出す。果実は小球形で10～11月、紫色に熟して美しい。山野に普通に生え、北海道南西部から九州、および朝鮮半島、中国に分布する。変異が多く、シロシキブは果実が白い。変種オオムラサキシキブは葉と花序が大きく、南日本の海岸近くに生える。庭木、切り花とし、幹は道具の柄(え)、杖(つえ)、箸(はし)などに使う。ムラサキシキブ属は熱帯、亜熱帯を中心に約140種ある。

［小林義雄　2021年9月17日］

文化史

一般には『源氏物語』の作者紫式部とのつながりを思われているが、直接の関係はない。いけ花では江戸時代から使われ、『立華正道集(りっかしょうどうしゅう)』（1684）や『抛入花伝書(なげいればなでんしょ)』（1684）には実紫(みむらさき)の名で載る。後者は「植木売は紫式部といふ」と、ムラサキシキブの名が、商売上の美飾名から広がったことを示す記述がある。『大和本草(やまとほんぞう)』（1709）は、玉むらさきとして、紫しきみ、小紫の方言もあげる。この「しきみ」を敷実(しきみ)あるいは重実(しげみ)や茂実(しげみ)の転訛(てんか)とみて、紫敷実か紫重実（茂実）からムラサキシキブの名が由来したとする説もある。

［湯浅浩史　2021年9月17日］

ムラサキシキブ
6～7月、葉の付け根またはすこし上に集散花序をつくり、淡紫色の小さな花を多数開く。花冠は4裂し、雄しべと雌しべは花冠から飛び出す©Seishohmaru">

ムラサキシキブ

ムラサキシキブの果実

オオムラサキシキブ

オオムラサキシキブの果実

クサギ、ムラサキシキブ〔樹形〕

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