ジギタリスの小さな鐘を連ねたような花々は風に揺れると心地よい音が響きそう。本当は狐でなく妖精の手袋や楽器だったのかもしれません。
The flowers of Fox Glove, which look like a string of small bells, seem to make a pleasant sound when they sway in the wind. They may not actually be foxes, but rather fairy gloves or musical instruments.
【仮名】ジギタリス
【和名】狐の手袋
【英名】Fox Glove
【学名】Digitalis
【誕生】03/ 27, 05/ 23, 06/ 13
【開花】05, 06, 07月
【花色】White, Pink, Red, Purple, Yellow, Orange
ジギタリス
ジギタリスの概要
ジギタリスはオオバコ科の１年草・多年草・低木です。原産地は地中海沿岸で、日本へは明治時代に渡来。名前はラテン語の属名で、「指」を意味するディジタスに由来します。指を入れる袋のような花だから。小さな鐘を連ねたような花々は風に揺れると心地よい音が響きそうです。
ジギタリスの英名
ジギタリスの和名「狐の手袋」は英名フォックスグローブの直訳。このフォックスは「妖精」を意味するフォークスの転化ともいわれます。一方、鈴をアーチ状に並べた古楽器「フォックスグルー」に花々が似ていたからという説も。本当は妖精の手袋や楽器だったのかもしれません。
ジギタリスの姿形
ジギタリスは茎が直立し、分岐しません。根出葉は柄が長く叢生、茎生葉は柄が短く互生。葉身は卵形～楕円状披針形で、表面に縮緬状の皺があり、裏面に白色の綿毛が密生します。株の中心から塔のような花茎が直立。鐘形の花々を下から順に咲かせます。花後は卵形の蒴果を形成。
ジギタリスの種類
ジギタリスの「プルプレア」種は花茎が１つ立ち上がり、花々が片側を向いて咲きます。改良品種「フォクシー」は複数の花茎が立ち上がる矮性種。「エクセルシア」は花々が両側を向いて咲きます。そのほか、花が黄色の「グランディフローラ」種、草姿が華奢な「ルテア」種など。
ジギタリスの毒性
ジギタリスは誤食によってジギトキシン、ギトキシンなどの強心配糖体が生成され、強い毒性があります。中毒症状は循環器系が不整脈や動悸、消化器系が嘔気や嘔吐、下痢、神経系が頭痛や眩暈、黄視症など。さらに重症化すると、心肺機能が停止する恐れもあり、注意が必要です。
Fox Glove
Fox Glove is an annual, perennial, and shrub in the Plantaginaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean coast and was introduced to Japan during the Meiji period. The Japanese name Digitalis is the Latin genus name, and comes from digitus, which means “finger.” This is because the flowers are shaped like a bag for your fingers. The flowers of Fox Glove, which look like a string of small bells, seem to make a pleasant sound when they sway in the wind.
The name Fox Glove comes from the fact that the shape of the flower looks like a “fox’s glove.” On the other hand, it is said that this Fox is a transformation of folks, which means “fairy.” On the other hand, there is also a theory that the flowers resembled “Foxes gleow,” an ancient musical instrument with bells arranged in an arch shape. In any case, they may actually be fairy gloves or musical instruments.
Fox Glove has an upright stem that does not branch. The basal leaves have long stalks and grow in clusters, while the cauline leaves have short stalks and grow alternately. The leaf blade is ovate to elliptical-lanceolate, with crepe-like wrinkles on the surface and dense white fluff on the underside. A tower-like flower stalk stands upright from the center of the plant. Bell-shaped flowers bloom from the bottom up. After flowering, an egg-shaped capsule is formed.
Fox Glove’s “Digitalis purpurea” has a single flower stalk that stands up and the flowers bloom facing one side. The improved variety “Foxy” is a dwarf variety with multiple flower stalks. “Excelsior” has flowers that bloom facing both sides. Other varieties include “Digitalis grandiflora” with yellow flowers and “Digitalis lutea” with a delicate plant shape.
Fox Glove produces cardiac glycosides such as digitoxin and gitoxin when ingested by mistake, which are highly toxic. Symptoms of poisoning include arrhythmia and palpitations in the circulatory system, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in the digestive system, and headaches, dizziness, and xanthophoria in the nervous system. If the condition worsens, there is a risk of the heart and lungs stopping, so caution is required.
