Cucumber tree - Cucumber tree

A large deciduous shrub of the Cucurbitaceae family (APG classification: Cornaceae). It grows to about 3 meters tall and has soft wood. The leaves are alternate, palmate with 5 midribs, entire with 3-5 shallow lobes, heart-shaped base, and paper-like texture. In summer, the axils produce white 6-petal flowers with slender petals that are everted. There are 12 stamens, 1 pistil, and yellow anthers. The calyx is short, and the fruit is oblate. The name comes from the leaf shape resembling that of a gourd. The leaves vary widely. It grows in forests in low mountains from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu, and is also distributed in Korea and China. The closely related A. chinense (Lour.) Harms is distributed in China, and its variant A. chinense (Lour.) Harms is distributed from the southern tip of Kyushu to Okinawa. It differs from the Cucurbita gracilis in that its flowers are small and the bases of its leaves are distorted.

[Kyoshio Furusawa March 22, 2021]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ウリノキ科（APG分類：ミズキ科）の落葉大形低木。高さ約3メートル、材は柔らかい。葉は互生し、掌状の5主脈があり全縁で浅く3～5裂し、基部は心臓形、質は薄紙状。夏、葉腋(ようえき)に白色の6弁花をつけ、花弁は細長く、反転する。雄しべ12本、雌しべ1本、葯(やく)は黄色。萼(がく)は短く、果実は扁球(へんきゅう)形。名は、葉形がウリの葉に似ることによる。葉は変異が多い。北海道南部から九州の低山の林中に生え、朝鮮、中国にも分布する。近縁のシナウリノキA. chinense (Lour.) Harmsは中国に分布し、その変種のシマウリノキは九州南端から沖縄に分布する。花が小さく、葉の基部がゆがんでいる点がウリノキと異なる。

［古澤潔夫　2021年3月22日］

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