ケナフは古くから世界中で栽培される繊維作物です。成長が早く、わずか４～５カ月で草丈が５ｍくらいに。花言葉は「勇気」「希望」です。
Kenaf is a fiber crop that has been cultivated around the world for a long time. It grows quickly and reaches a height of about 5 meters in just 4-5 months. The flower language is “courage” and “hope”.
【仮名】ケナフ, アオイツナソ
【和名】葵綱麻
【英名】Kenaf, White Hibiscus
【学名】Hibiscus cannabinus
【誕生】07/ ??
【開花】07, 08, 09, 10月
【花色】White, Purple, Yellow
ケナフ
ケナフの概要
ケナフはアオイ科フヨウ属の１年草です。原産地はアフリカ西部で、古くから繊維作物としてアジア南部～南東部、欧州南東部で栽培。今はアジア東部やアメリカ大陸などでも栽培されています。成長が早く、わずか４～５カ月で草丈が５ｍくらいに。花言葉は「勇気」「希望」です。
ケナフの名前
ケナフはペルシャ語で「麻」という意味です。葉の形が似ていて同じように繊維の原料になるから。ラテン語の種小名カンナビヌスも「麻」という意味です。属名ヒビスカスは「立葵」の古語に由来。標準和名アオイツナソの名前は同じように繊維の原料になる「綱麻」に由来します。
ケナフの姿形
ケナフの茎は真っ直ぐ立ち上がって疎らに棘があり、基部が木質化します。葉は互生し、掌状に３～７裂。茎の低いところで深く、高いところで浅く切れ込みます。花は中心が暗紫色で、花弁が５枚、雌しべが５裂、雄しべが雌しべを包み込むように合着。花後は丸い蒴果を結びます。
ケナフの利用
ケナフは古代エジプトでミイラの着衣に混ぜられるなど、昔から身近な繊維素材として利用されました。茎の外側は、固く粗い針葉樹のような靱皮繊維で、縄や布、綿との混紡などに。一方、茎の内側は、軟らかく細かい広葉樹のような木質繊維で、製紙用の原料などに用いられます。
Kenaf
Kenaf is an annual plant of the Malvaceae family. It is native to western Africa and has long been cultivated as a fiber crop in southern and southeastern Asia and southeastern Europe. It is now cultivated in eastern Asia and the Americas. It grows quickly and reaches a height of about 5 meters in just 4-5 months. The flower language is “courage” and “hope”.
Kenaf comes from the Persian word kenab, which means “hemp”. The shape of the leaves is similar to that of hemp, and it can be used as a fiber material just like hemp. The Latin specific name cannabinus also means “hemp”. The genus name Hibiscus comes from the archaic word for “hollyhock”. The standard Japanese name comes from “Jute”, which is also used as a fiber material.
The stems of Kenaf are straight, sparsely thorned, and woody at the base. The leaves are alternate and palmately divided into 3-7 lobes. The leaves are deeply incised at the lower part of the stem and shallowly incised at the higher part. The flowers have a dark purple center, 5 petals, 5 lobes of the pistil, and the stamens are fused to encase the pistil. After flowering, a round capsule is formed.
Kenaf has been used as a familiar fiber material since ancient times, such as being mixed into the clothing of mummies in ancient Egypt. The outside of the stem is a hard, coarse bast fiber like a coniferous tree, which is used for rope, cloth, and blends with cotton. On the other hand, the inside of the stem is a soft, fine woody fiber like a broadleaf tree, which is used as a raw material for papermaking.
