シランは気難しいラン科で珍しく日向から日蔭まで適応し、どこでも増える地生蘭。花弁、萼片、ずい柱からなる複雑な造りの花が咲きます。
Urn orchid is rare in the difficult orchid family, because it is a terrestrial orchid that adapts from the sun to the shade and increases everywhere. They bloom intricately made up of petals, stalks, and pillars.
【仮名】シラン
【和名】紫蘭
【英名】Urn Orchid
【学名】Bletilla striata
【誕生】04/ 20, 05/ 06
【開花】04, 05, 06月
【花色】White, Purple
シラン
シランの生態
シランはラン科の宿根草です。原産地は日本、台湾、中国。気難しいラン科では珍しく日向から日蔭まで適応し、普通の土で育ちます。野原・林縁から庭園・公園まで、どこでも増える地生蘭。地下の球茎から茎葉を伸ばし、花被片６枚の花を咲かせ、微細な種子を周りに散らします。
シランの花
シランは地下の球茎から伸びた花茎の先端に花弁３枚、萼片３枚の複雑な造りの花を咲かせます。花被片は「大」の字の頭が背萼片、両手が側花弁、両足が側萼片、前に突き出ている筒の下が唇弁、上が雄しべと雌しべの合着したずい柱。筒の奥に花粉があるものの花蜜はありません。
シランの葉
シランの葉は地下の球茎から直に伸びます。薄くて幅の広い長楕円形ですが、笹の葉のように丈夫。葉身に多くの縦筋が入ります。種名ストリアタはラテン語で「縦縞がある」という意味。葉の外観に由来しています。花後、茎は萎れても葉は元気。地下の球茎に養分を送り込みます。
シランの種子
シランは種子で増えます。果実は縦に太い筋がついた細長い紡錘形。中には細かい種子がぎっしり詰まっています。総じて種子が発芽しにくいラン科の中で容易に種子が発芽。種間交配も生じて稔性も良いため、安易な交雑種の作出や逸出による遺伝子の撹乱を危惧する声もあります。
シランの球茎
シランは地下の丸く平らな球茎でも増えます。春に球茎から葉を伸ばし、夏に葉を繁らせて養分を蓄積。秋に葉を枯らして休眠し、冬は新たな球茎で次の春を待ちます。そのようにして年々球茎が連結。漢方では「白及」という生薬になり、止血や痛み止め、慢性胃炎に用いられます。
Urn Orchid
Ecology of urn orchid
Urn orchid is an indigo plant of the Orchid family. The place of origin is Japan, Taiwan and China. It adapts from the sun to the shade, which is rare in the difficult orchid family, and grows on ordinary soil. Terrestrial orchids that increase everywhere, from fields and forest edges to gardens and parks. The foliage is extended from the underground bulb, six flower pieces are bloomed, and fine seeds are scattered around.
Urn orchid flower
Urn orchid blooms intricately made flowers with 3 petals and 3 calyxes at the tip of the flower stem extending from the underground bulb. The flower consists of head with a dorsal sepal, both hands with side petals, both feet with side sepals, the bottom of the tube protruding forward is the lip flap, and the top is the combined pillar of masculine and female pelvis. There is pollen in the back of the cylinder, but there is no honey.
Urn orchid leaves
Urn orchid leaves grow directly from the underground bulb. It is thin and wide and oblong, but it is as strong as bamboo leaves. There are many vertical lines on the leaf blade. The species name Striata is a Latin word meaning “with vertical stripes”. It is derived from the appearance of the leaves. After flowering, the leaves are fine even if the stems wither. It sends nutrients to the underground bulb.
Urn orchid seeds
Urn orchid increases in seeds. The fruit is an elongated spindle shape with thick vertical streaks. It is packed with fine seeds. Seeds germinate easily in the orchid family, where seeds are generally difficult to germinate. Since interspecific mating occurs and fertility is good, there are some concerns about gene disruption due to easy production and escape of hybrids.
Urn orchid bulb
Urn orchid also increases by round and flat bulbs in underground. Leaves grow from the bulb in spring and grow in summer to accumulate nutrients. Wither the leaves in the fall and sleep, and in the winter wait for the next spring with new bulbs. In that way, the bulbs are connected year by year. In Chinese medicine, it is a raw medicine called “Byakukyu” and is used for bleeding, pain relief, and chronic gastric inflammation.
