ガクウツギは林縁などで自生。花は真ん中に小さな黄緑色の両性花がたくさん、周りに大きな白色の装飾花が数枚で、甘い匂いを漂わせます。
Hydrangea scandens grows wild on forest edges. The flower structure has many small yellow-green hermaphrodite flowers in the middle, surrounded by several large white decorative flowers. It gives off a sweet smell.
【仮名】ガクウツギ, コンテリギ
【和名】額空木, 紺照木
【英名】Hydrangea scandens
【学名】Hydrangea scandens
【誕生】05/ ??
【開花】05, 06月
【花色】White, Green, Yellow
ガクウツギ
ガクウツギの概要
ガクウツギはアジサイ科の落葉低木です。本州の関東から四国、九州まで分布し、陽当たりが良く、湿り気もある林縁などで自生。花は真ん中に小さな黄緑色の両性花がたくさん、周りに大きな白色の装飾花が数枚で、甘い匂いを漂わせます。花言葉は「古風」「風情」「秘密」など。
ガクウツギの名前
ガクウツギの名前の由来は木の姿が「空木」に、花の造りが「額紫陽花」に似ているから。一方、空木の枝のような中空ではありません。別名「紺照木」は葉が光沢のある紺色だから。ラテン語の属名ハイドランジアは「水の器」、種小名スカンデンスは「よじ登る」という意味です。
ガクウツギの姿形
ガクウツギの木は盛んに分枝して叢生。樹皮が褐色で浅く縦に剥がれます。葉は先の尖った長楕円形で縁に浅い鋸歯が入って対生。花の周りの装飾花は大きさの揃わない萼片が３～５枚です。真ん中の両性花は花被片が５枚、雄しべが10本、雌しべが３裂。花後は丸い蒴果を結びます。
ガクウツギの近縁
ガクウツギの近縁種「小額空木」は本州の東海地方から四国、九州まで分布する落葉低木です。名前の由来は額空木に似ながら、枝も葉も花も小さいから。樹皮は赤紫色、装飾花は萼片の大きさがほぼ同じです。「唐紺照木」はミャンマーから中国南東部、台湾まで分布する常緑低木。
Hydrangea scandens
Hydrangea scandens is a deciduous shrub of the family Hydrangeaceae. It is distributed from the Kanto region of Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu, and grows wild in sunny and moist forest edges. The flower structure has many small yellow-green hermaphrodite flowers in the middle, surrounded by several large white decorative flowers. It gives off a sweet smell. The language of flowers is “old-fashioned”, “elegance”, and “secret”.
The Japanese name of Hydrangea scandens means “The appearance of the tree is similar to Deutzia crenata, and the structure of the flowers is similar to lacecap hydrangea.” On the other hand, the branches are not hollow like those of Deutzia crenata. There is also another name called “dark blue with glossy leaves”. The Latin genus name Hydrangea means “water vessel” and the specific epithet scandens means “to climb”.
Hydrangea scandens trees are heavily branched and grow in clusters. The bark is brown and peels vertically. The leaves are oblong with a pointed tip, and have shallowly toothed margins. The decorative flowers around the flower have 3 to 5 sepals of different sizes. The bisexual flower in the middle has 5 tepals, 10 stamens, and 3-lobed pistil. After flowering, it produces round capsules.
“Hydrangea luteovenosa”, a close relative of Hydrangea scandens, is a deciduous shrub that is distributed from the Tokai region of Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu. The Japanese name means “Hydrangea scandens with small branches, leaves, and flowers.” The bark is reddish-purple, and the sepals of the decorative flowers are about the same size. “Hydrangea chinensis” is an evergreen shrub that is distributed from Myanmar to southeastern China and Taiwan.
