Rapatea (English spelling)

Japanese: ラパテア（英語表記）Rapatea

A general term for perennial plants of the genus Rapatea in the family Rapateae, which mostly grow in wetlands. They produce numerous leaves with oblong to linear leaf blades and petioles that spread out at the base to form leaf sheaths that envelop the stem, and large species can reach lengths of up to 1.5m. The inflorescence is a head of numerous spikelets at the top of the flower stalk, and is surrounded by two developed bracts. The flowers are small and have three persistent outer tepals and three membranous inner tepals that are fused at the base. The seeds contain starchy endosperm.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

多くは湿地に生えるラパテア科ラパテア属Rapateaの多年草の総称。長楕円形から線形の葉身と葉柄があって基部は広がり茎を包む葉鞘（ようしよう）になる葉を，多数出し，大きな種では長さが1.5mにもなる。花茎の頂部に小穂が多数頭状に集まった花序をつけ，花序は2枚の発達した苞葉につつまれる。花は小型で，宿存する3枚の外花被片と膜質で基部で合着した3枚の内花被片を有している。種子にはデンプン質の胚乳を有する。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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