Yugao (Evening glory) - Yugao (English spelling) Legenaria siceraria var. hispida

Japanese: ユウガオ(夕顔) - ユウガオ（英語表記）Legenaria siceraria var. hispida

An annual vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is said to be native to Africa or tropical Asia, and is classified as the same species as the gourd in botanical taxonomy. It is commonly cultivated in warm regions, and is blue-green and hairy all over. The leaves are stalked, alternate, circular, and shallowly palmately lobed. There are bifurcated tendrils facing the leaves. It is monoecious, and produces white flowers in the leaf axils in summer. The male flowers have long stalks, and the female flowers have short stalks. The berries are elliptical and can grow to a length of 60-90 cm, with thick white flesh that can be peeled off in string-like strips to produce dried gourd. In particular, the variety L. siceraria var. depressa , which produces large, somewhat flattened, spherical fruits, is cultivated in large quantities in Tochigi Prefecture.

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

Japanese:

ウリ科の一年生のつる植物。アフリカあるいはアジア熱帯の原産といわれ，植物分類学上はヒョウタン (瓢箪)と同一種とされる。暖地によく栽培され，全体が青緑色で軟毛がある。葉は柄があって互生し，円形で浅く掌状に裂ける。葉と向き合ってふたまたに分れた巻きひげがある。雌雄同株で，夏に葉腋に白花を生じる。雄花は長柄があり，雌花は短柄をもつ。液果は楕円形で 60～90cmの長さにもなり，白色の果肉は厚く，紐状にむいて干瓢 (かんぴょう) をつくる。特に大型でやや平たい球形の実をつける変種のフクベ L. siceraria var. depressaは栃木県下で多量に栽培されている。

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