ヒメツルソバは金平糖のような小花が丸く集まって咲きます。生育は強健で開花も長期間。グランドカバーやロックガーデンに用いられます。
Pinkhead Knotweed blooms in round clusters of florets like Konpeito. Strong growth and long flowering. Used for ground cover and rock gardens.
【仮名】ヒメツルソバ, ポリゴナム
【和名】姫蔓蕎麦
【英名】Pinkhead Knotweed, Pinkhead Smartweed
【学名】Persicaria capitata
【誕生】10/ 06, 10/ 16
【開花】05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11月
【花色】Pink
ヒメツルソバ
ヒメツルソバの来歴
ヒメツルソバはタデ科イヌダテ属の多年草。原産地はインド北部ヒマラヤ山脈です。日本へは明治時代に鑑賞用で持ち込まれ、全国に広がって野生化。金平糖のような小花が丸く集まって咲きます。花言葉は姿形から「愛らしい」。そのほか「気が利く」「思いがけない出会い」です。
ヒメツルソバの名前
ヒメツルソバの名前の由来は、海の近くで自生する在来の「蔓蕎麦」に似ているものの小ぶりだから。花も蔓蕎麦が乳白色、姫蔓蕎麦が薄桃色です。別名「ポリゴナム」はラテン語で、以前の分類による属名。現在の属名ペルシカリアは「桃の」という意味で、葉が似ているからです。
ヒメツルソバの姿形
ヒメツルソバは茎が分岐しながら這い広がります。赤褐色の毛が生え、土に接する節々から発根。葉は互生し、先端の尖った卵形にＶ字形の斑紋があり、寒さで紅く染まります。花は萼が５つに深く裂け、雄しべが８本、雌しべの柱頭が３裂。花後は３稜形の痩果が黒褐色に熟します。
ヒメツルソバの利用
ヒメツルソバは、生育が強健で開花期間も長いため、グランドカバーやロックガーデンに用いられます。ただし、高地由来であるにも関わらず、霜が降りると茎葉が枯れ、土が凍ると根が傷むなど、意外と寒さが苦手。一方、親株が死滅しても種子で容易に殖えるので群生し続けます。
Pinkhead Knotweed
History of Pinkhead Knotweed
Pinkhead Knotweed is a perennial plant belonging to the Polygonaceae family. It is native to the Himalayas in northern India. It was brought to Japan for appreciation in the Meiji era, and has spread throughout the country and become wild. Flower blooms in round clusters of florets like Konpeito. The language of flowers is “lovely” from its shape. In addition, it’s “witty” and “unexpected encounters”.
Name of Pinkhead Knotweed
The Japanese name of Pinkhead Knotweed means that although it resembles the native “Persicaria chinensis” that grows wild near the sea, it is smaller. As for the flowers, Persicaria chinensis is milky white, and Pinkhead Knotweed is pale pink. The other name “Polygonum” is Latin and is the genus name according to the previous classification. The current genus name Persicaria means “peach” because the leaves are similar.
Shape of Pinkhead Knotweed
Pinkhead Knotweed spreads while branching stems. It grows reddish-brown hairs and roots from the joints in contact with the soil. The leaves are alternate, have pointed ovate leaves with V-shaped spots and turn red in the cold. The calyx is deeply cleft into 5, with 8 stamens and 3 cleft stigmas. After flowering, triangular achenes ripen to blackish brown.
Use of Pinkhead Knotweed
Pinkhead Knotweed has a strong growth and a long flowering period, so it is used for ground cover and rock gardens. However, despite being from highlands, it is surprisingly not good at cold, such as the foliage withering when frost falls and the roots being damaged when the soil freezes. On the other hand, even if the parent plant dies, it will continue to grow in colonies because it can easily reproduce from seeds.
