Cornflower - Cornflower

A perennial plant of the Saxifragaceae family (APG classification: Saxifragaceae). The stem is erect and has a small number of alternate leaves. The underground stem is thickened and the basal leaves have long stalks. The leaves are palmate and have five leaflets. The name knapweed comes from the leaf shape, which resembles an arrowhead. The leaflets are wedge-shaped and sessile, the upper leaflets have 3 to 5 lobes and irregular serrated edges. In June and July, a panicle is formed at the end of the stem and many flowers bloom. There are no bracts, and the flower axis is densely covered with nipple-like hairs. There are no petals, and the sepals are five and white. There are 10 stamens and the filaments extend outside the flower. The capsule is broadly ovate and the two styles are persistent. It grows in deep mountains and is distributed from Hokkaido to Honshu, the Korean Peninsula, and northeastern China.

There is a plant in the Asteraceae family that was once called cornflower, and it is sometimes confused with this species, but the plant in the Asteraceae family is called cornflower (centaurea).

[Taiichi Momiyama March 18, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ユキノシタ科（APG分類：ユキノシタ科）の多年草。茎は直立し、少数の葉を互生する。地下茎は肥厚し、根出葉には長柄がある。葉は掌状で小葉は5枚。ヤグルマソウの名はこの葉形を矢車に見立てたもの。小葉はくさび形で無柄、上部の小葉は3～5裂し、縁(へり)に不ぞろいの鋸歯(きょし)がある。6～7月、茎の先に円錐(えんすい)花序をつくり、多数の花を開く。包葉はなく、花軸には乳頭状の小毛が密生する。花弁はなく、萼片(がくへん)は5枚で白色。雄しべは10本、花糸は花外に出る。蒴果(さくか)は広卵形で、2本の花柱は宿存する。深山に生え、北海道から本州、および朝鮮半島、中国東北部に分布する。

　なお、キク科の植物でヤグルマソウの名でよばれていたものがあり、本種と混同されることがあるが、キク科のものはヤグルマギク（セントウレア）とよぶ。

［籾山泰一　2020年3月18日］

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