ツノゴマは可愛らしい唇形花を咲かせる一方、茎や葉の腺毛が昆虫を捕捉。花後の蒴果に２本の鋭い角が生え、「悪魔の爪」とも呼ばれます。
Common Devil’s Claw blooms cute lip-shaped flowers, while glandular hairs on the stems and leaves capture insects. In addition, two sharp horns grow on the capsule after flowering, just like a Devil’s Claw.
【仮名】ツノゴマ, アクマノツメ, タビビトナカセ
【和名】角胡麻, 悪魔の爪, 旅人泣かせ
【英名】Common Devil’s Claw, Ram’s Horn
【学名】Proboscidea louisianica
【誕生】08/ 15
【開花】06, 07, 08, 09, 10月
【花色】White, Pink
ツノゴマ
ツノゴマの概要
ツノゴマはツノゴマ科の１年草です。原産地は北米の米国南部～メキシコ。アメリカ先住民は未熟果を蒸したり漬けたりして食料に、成熟果を編み籠や魔除けに、種子を油糧などに用いました。可愛らしい唇形花を咲かせる一方、茎や葉の腺毛が昆虫を捕捉。花言葉は「神秘的」です。
ツノゴマの名前
ツノゴマの名前の由来は、「胡麻」に似た花が咲き、「角」の生えた果実が成るから。未熟果の角は１本で「一角獣花」、成熟果の角は２本で鋭く、「悪魔の爪」「旅人泣かせ」という別名があります。ラテン語の属名プロボスキデアは「象の鼻のような」という意味で未熟果を形容。
ツノゴマの姿形
ツノゴマは茎が盛んに分岐しながら這い広がります。葉は葉柄が長く、葉身が卵形で、葉縁が波打ち、対生。茎も葉も腺毛で覆われ、触るとべたつき、強い香りが生じます。花は筒状の唇形で、上唇が上２枚と横２枚、下唇が大きく１枚。紫色と黄色の蜜標があり、雄しべが４本です。
ツノゴマの果実
ツノゴマの果実は緑色の紡錘型で、先端が角のように伸びて湾曲。成熟すると軟らかい外果皮が剥がれ、木質化して固くなった黒色の内果皮が現れます。内果皮の角は２つに分かれ、鉤爪状の蒴果を形成。蒴果は動物に絡みついて遠方まで運ばれ、落ちて砕けて中の種子を散らします。
Common Devil’s Claw
Common Devil’s Claw is an annual plant of the Martyniaceae family. It is native to the southern United States and Mexico in North America. Native Americans used the immature fruit steamed or pickled for food, the mature fruit for woven baskets and talismans, and the seeds for oil. It blooms cute lip-shaped flowers, while glandular hairs on the stems and leaves capture insects. The flower language is “mysterious”.
The Japanese name for Common Devil’s Claw means “Sesame with a horn”. This is because it blooms flowers similar to Sesame and grows fruits with a horn. The immature fruit has only one horn, so it is called “Unicorn Flower”. The horns of the mature fruit are sharp and easily intertwined, so they are called “travelers’ weeping.” The Latin genus name Proboscidea means “like an elephant’s trunk” and describes the immature fruit.
Common Devil’s Claw spreads by branching stems. The leaves are opposite, with long petioles, ovate blades, and wavy edges. Both the stems and leaves are covered with glandular hairs, which make them sticky to the touch and give off a strong fragrance. The flowers are tubular and labiated, with two upper lips and two horizontal ones, and one large lower lip. There are purple and yellow nectar guides, and four stamens.
Common Devil’s Claw fruits are green and spindle-shaped, with a horn-like tip that extends and curves. When mature, the soft exocarp peels off to reveal the black endocarp, which has become woody and hard. The endocarp horn splits into two to form a claw-like capsule. The capsules are carried far away by animals, where they fall and break apart, scattering the seeds inside.
