シャクナゲの花は半球状にまとまって咲いて華やか。慣用表現「高嶺の花」は皆が近寄れないところに花が咲いているシャクナゲのことです。
The flowers of rhododendron bloom in a hemispherical shape and are gorgeous. The idiomatic expression “Takane no Hana: The flower blooming on a high mountain” is Rhododendron that flower is in bloom in place where everyone cannot approach.
【仮名】シャクナゲ
【和名】石楠花, 石南花
【英名】Rhododendron
【学名】Hymenanthes
【誕生】02/ 20, 05/ 08, 06/ 05
【開花】04, 05, 06月
【花色】White, Pink, Red, Purple, Yellow, Orange
シャクナゲ
シャクナゲの分布
シャクナゲはツツジ科の常緑低木です。北半球では亜寒帯～熱帯山地の広範囲に分布。南限は南半球のニューギニアやオーストラリアです。とくに標高の高いヒマラヤ周辺に多くの原種が自生。慣用表現の「高嶺の花」は皆が近寄れないところに花が咲いているシャクナゲのことです。
シャクナゲの名前
シャクナゲの名前は中国に由来し、石南花の呉音読み「しゃくなんげ」が転じたもの。ただし、中国で石南花はバラ科の別の植物です。また、英名ロードデンドロンは属名に由来し、ラテン語で「赤い花をつける木」という意味。しかし当初、これは「夾竹桃」の名称だったようです。
シャクナゲの近縁
シャクナゲは近縁のツツジと花がよく似ています。違いは花がまとまって半球状に咲くこと。そのぶん花の見た目が華やかです。葉も大きく肉厚で下向き。長楕円形で光沢があります。涼しいところに自生している印象があるものの、品種改良により日本の夏の暑さも問題ありません。
シャクナゲの毒性
シャクナゲは毒性があります。葉に有毒成分のグラヤノトキシンを含有。摂取により吐き気や下痢、呼吸困難を引き起こします。葉に利尿、強壮効果があるとされる生薬「石南」と間違えられることもありますが、これは「大要黐」のこと。シャクナゲにそのような効果はありません。
Rhododendron
Distribution of rhododendron
Rhododendron is an evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is widely distributed in the subarctic to tropical mountains. The southern limit is New Guinea and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. Many original species grow naturally around the high altitude Himalayan. The idiomatic expression “Takane no Hana: The flower blooming on a high mountain” is Rhododendron that flower is in bloom in place where everyone cannot approach.
The name of the rhododendron
The name of the rhododendron: Shakunage is derived from China, and it is a change of the Go-on reading “Shakunange” of Chinese characters. However, in China, this name means another plant of the Rosaceae family. In addition, the English name rhododendron is derived from the genus name and means “tree with red flowers” in Latin. However, it seems that this was the name of “Oleander”.
Close relatives of rhododendron
Rhododendron is very similar in flowers to its closely related azaleas. The difference is that the flowers come together and bloom in a hemispherical shape. The appearance of the flower is gorgeous. The leaves are large and thick and face downward. It is oblong and shiny. Although it seems to grow naturally in a cool place, there is no problem with the summer heat in Japan due to breeding.
Toxicity of rhododendron
Rhododendron is toxic. Contains the toxic ingredient grayanotoxin in the leaves. Ingestion causes nausea, diarrhea and dyspnea. It is sometimes mistaken for the crude drug which is said to have diuretic and tonic effects on the leaves, but this is the “daily photinia.” Rhododendron has no such effect.
