Columbine - Columbine

A perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family (APG classification: Ranunculaceae). Native to Japan. The stems are 20-50 cm tall, smooth and cylindrical, erect, and well-branched. The basal leaves are trifoliate and compound with long stalks, and the leaflets are short and deeply 3-lobed. In May, the stems bear several downward-facing blue-purple, pale purple, or occasionally white flowers, 3-4 cm in diameter, at the top of the stems. Both the stems and leaves are green and covered with a distinctive white powder. There are five sepals and petals. The name Odamaki comes from the fact that the shape of the flower resembles a roll of spun hemp thread, called an Odamaki, or a Odama, but what look like petals are actually egg-shaped calyxes, and the petals are oblong, pale yellow close to white at the top, and curve inward at the base, forming a spur. It has five pistils and many stamens. It is cultivated for use in gardens, as a potted plant, and as cut flowers. It is thought that this species was developed from the Miyamaoaquilegia var. pumila Kudo, a variety that grows wild in the highlands north of the Chubu region of Honshu and in Hokkaido. Yamaoaquilegia also grows wild in Japan. It is easy to cultivate in both cold and warm areas, but it is best to keep it in partial shade or in a place where the afternoon sun falls early, and be careful of the summer heat rather than winter, and keep it moderately humid. It can be propagated by dividing the plant in spring or by seed, but if sown in autumn, it will not bloom the following year. The Western columbine that has recently been cultivated for cut flowers and flower beds is generally called aquilegia, has a wide variety of flower colors, and comes in a range of tall and dwarf varieties, and is commonly cultivated. It can be grown in a greenhouse from December to January of the following year and shipped in early spring, making it an advantageous cultivar for commercial cultivation.

[Uoman Eiichi March 18, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

キンポウゲ科（APG分類：キンポウゲ科）の多年草。日本原産種。茎は高さ20～50センチメートル、平滑な円柱で直立し、よく分枝する。根出葉は長い柄をもつ3出複葉で、小葉は短い柄をもち深く3裂する。5月、茎頂に径3～4センチメートルの青紫、淡紫、まれに白色花を数花、下向きにつける。茎、葉ともに特有の白粉で覆われた緑色。萼(がく)、花弁ともに5枚。オダマキの名は、花の形が、紡いだ麻糸を中をからにして丸く巻いた苧環(おだまき)、または苧玉(おだま)に似ていることからつけられたが、花弁のようにみえるのが卵形の萼で、花弁は長楕円(ちょうだえん)形で上部は白に近い淡黄色、基部は距(きょ)となって内側に曲がる。雌しべは5本、雄しべは多数。庭園用、鉢植えのほか切り花用として栽培される。本州中部地方以北の高冷地、北海道に自生する変種のミヤマオダマキ（深山苧環）var. pumila Kudoから、本種がつくられたと考えられている。日本にはほかにヤマオダマキが自生する。寒地はもとより暖地でも栽培は容易で、冬越しより夏の暑さに注意し、適湿を保ち、半日陰または西日の早く落ちる所がよい。繁殖は春の株分けのほか実生(みしょう)もできるが、秋播(ま)きでは翌年開花しない。最近切り花や花壇用につくられるセイヨウオダマキは、一般にアクイレギアとよばれ、花色が豊富で、高性から矮性(わいせい)種まであり、よく栽培される。12月から翌年の1月に温室で育て、早春に出荷できるので、営利栽培に有利な栽培種である。

［魚躬詔一　2020年3月18日］

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