Akebia - Akebia

Japanese: アケビ - あけび

A deciduous wisteria of the Akebiaceae family (APG classification: Akebiaceae). The leaves are alternate, palmately compound, and have five leaflets. In spring, pale purple flowers bloom in racemes. The inflorescence has male flowers at the end and female flowers at the base. There are three perianths. Male flowers have six fleshy stamens and degenerated carpels, while female flowers have six to nine carpels and the stamens have degenerated and become small. The carpels ripen into large berries. The berries are elliptical or oblong, 6 to 8 cm long, and one or several are attached to the end of the stalk. They are pale purple in color, and when they ripen in late autumn, the thick fleshy wall splits vertically. The name Akebi comes from the fact that the fruit opens. The berries contain many black seeds. The translucent flesh surrounding the seeds is sweet and edible. It is commonly found in the mountains and fields of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and also grows in Korea and China.

Akebia has many different names depending on the region, including Nekonkuso and Gozaikazura. There are several species in the Akebia genus, distributed in Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. In addition to Akebia, Japan also has Mitsuba Akebia, which has purple flowers and three leaflets, and Goyo Akebia, A. pentaphylla Makino, which has five leaflets and flowers similar to Mitsuba Akebia. Mitsuba Akebia branches are used as materials for crafts.

[Susumu Terabayashi September 17, 2019]

Medicinal

In traditional Chinese medicine, the vine stems of this species and Akebia trifoliata are called mokutsu and tsuso and are used as diuretics, analgesics, and emmenagogues to treat joint pain, edema, bladder stones, and menstrual irregularities. The tops of the vines that grow in spring are cut to about 30 cm and used as wild vegetables, which are delicious and good for the body. In China, mokutsu is often used to refer to Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom. ( Hocquartia manshuriensis Nakai) (APG classification: Aristolochiaceae), Clematis armandii Franch. (APG classification: Ranunculaceae), and Akebia trifoliata, while tsuso is used to refer to the pith of the stems of Tetrapanax papyrifer Koch (APG classification: Araliaceae), but all have the same effects.

[Motoo Nagasawa September 17, 2019]

[Reference item] | Akebia crafts | Mitsuba Akebia

Akebia
Commonly found in the mountains and fields, it produces pale purple flowers in racemes from April to May. There are three perianths. The male flowers are at the end of the inflorescence, and the female flowers are at the base. ©Shogakukan Photo by Okuyama Hisashi ">

Akebia

Akebia fruit
The berries are 6-8cm long, elliptical or oblong, and are attached one to several times at the end of the stalk. They are pale purple in color, and when they ripen in late autumn, the fleshy, thick fruit wall splits vertically. The translucent flesh surrounding the seeds is edible. ©Shogakukan Photo by Okuyama Hisashi ">

Akebia fruit

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

アケビ科（APG分類：アケビ科）の落葉藤本(とうほん)。葉は互生し掌状複葉、小葉は5枚。春、総状花序に淡紫色の花をつける。花序の先のほうには雄花、基部には雌花がつく。花被(かひ)は3枚。雄花には6本の肉質の雄しべと、退化した心皮があり、雌花には6～9枚の心皮があり、雄しべは退化して小さくなっている。心皮は熟すと大きな液果になる。液果は楕円(だえん)形ないし長楕円形で長さ6～8センチメートル、果柄の先に1個ないし数個つき淡紫色で、晩秋に熟すると肉質で厚い果壁は縦に裂ける。アケビの名は「実が開(あ)く」ということからきている。液果の中には黒い種子がたくさんある。種子を取り囲んでいる半透明の果肉は甘くて食用となる。本州、四国、九州の山野に普通にみられ、朝鮮、中国にも生育する。

　アケビにはネコンクソ、ゴザイカズラその他、地方ごとに多くの異名がある。アケビ属には数種があり、日本、朝鮮、中国、台湾に分布する。日本にはアケビ以外に、花が紫色で小葉は3枚のミツバアケビ、小葉は5枚で花がミツバアケビに似るゴヨウアケビA. pentaphylla Makinoが生育する。ミツバアケビの枝は細工物の材料となる。

［寺林　進　2019年9月17日］

薬用

漢方では本種とミツバアケビのつるになる茎を木通(もくつう)、通草(つうそう)と称して利尿、鎮痛、通経剤として関節痛、浮腫(ふしゅ)、膀胱(ぼうこう)結石、月経不順の治療に用いる。春に伸びたつるの先を30センチメートルほどとって山菜として用いるとたいへん美味であり、また、体にもよい。中国では木通はキダチウマノスズクサAristolochia manshuriensis Kom.（Hocquartia manshuriensis Nakai）（APG分類：ウマノスズクサ科）、クレマチス・アルマンディClematis armandii Franch.（APG分類：キンポウゲ科）、ミツバアケビをさすことが多く、通草はカミヤツデTetrapanax papyrifer Koch（APG分類：ウコギ科）の茎の髄をさすが、いずれも効用は同じである。

［長沢元夫　2019年9月17日］

[参照項目] | あけび細工 | ミツバアケビ

アケビ

アケビの果実

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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