Clethra barbinervis - Clethra barbinervis

Japanese: リョウブ(令法) - リョウブ（英語表記）Clethra barbinervis

A deciduous tree of the Cleavaceae family. It grows in sunny mountainous areas throughout Japan. It is about 6m tall, with brownish-brown bark that peels off like paper, and stands out like the trunk of a Crape Myrtle. The leaves are 6-12cm long and broadly egg-shaped lanceolate with pointed tips, sawtoothed edges, rough to the touch, and hairy undersides. The undersides of the leaves are white, with about 10 pairs of prominent lateral veins. In early summer, it produces numerous small white five-petaled flowers in clusters. They have a faint fragrance, and attract many bees and other insects. The trunks are used for alcove posts and are excellent charcoal materials. Young leaves are boiled or eaten as ryobu rice, making them a famine relief plant. There are also closely related species of the same genus in North America.

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

Japanese:

リョウブ科の落葉小高木。日本全土の日当りのよい山地に生える。高さは 6mぐらいで樹皮は茶褐色，紙のように薄くはげ，サルスベリの幹のようで目立つ。葉は長さ6～12cmの広卵状披針形で先はとがり，葉縁には鋸歯があって，手ざわりはあらく下面には毛が多い。葉の裏面は白色を帯び，10対前後の側脈が隆起していて目立つ。夏の初めに，白色5弁の小花を総状に多数つける。わずかな芳香を有し，ハチなども多く飛来する。幹は床柱材，また優良な木炭材となる。若葉はゆでたり，りょうぶ飯として食べられ，救荒植物となる。北アメリカにも同属近縁の種類がある。

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