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Rhaphiolepis umbellata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhaphiolepis umbellata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rhaphiolepis
Species:
R. umbellata
Binomial name
Rhaphiolepis umbellata
Synonyms[1]
  • Laurus umbellata Thunb.
  • Mespilus sieboldii Blume
  • Rhaphiolepis indica f. umbellata (Thunb.) Hatus.
  • Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata (Thunb.) H. Ohashi
  • Rhaphiolepis japonica var. integerrima Hook. f.
  • Rhaphiolepis ovata Briot

Rhaphiolepis umbellata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Growing to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall and wide, it is an evergreen shrub with glossy oval leaves, and scented white flowers, sometimes tinged with pink, in early summer.[2]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] It is used in Japan as an astringent and a dyeing agent. The bark contains (−)-catechin 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and (+)-catechin 5-0-β-d-glucopyranoside.[4]

Uses

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Known as Sharinbai (車輪梅) in Japan and as Techigi in Amami Oshima, this plant is used to create a dye to create the highly valued Ōshima-tsumugi kimono. The bark of the tree is chopped into chips and boiled for over 10 hours. This tannin rich decoction serves as a dye for the silk threads. After dyeing, the threads are then dyed in mud from paddy fields rich in iron content for post-mordanting until they turn black. [5][6]

Additionally, due to its resilience to drying and air pollution, Sharinbai trees are planted along roadsides. Their glossy evergreen leaves make them suitable for garden planting, enduring well against frequent pruning.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
  2. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  3. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Rhaphiolepis umbellata". Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  4. ^ Gen-Ichiro Nonaka; Emiko Ezakia; Katsuya Hayashia; Itsuo Nishioka (1983). "Flavanol glucosides from rhubarb and Rhaphiolepis umbellata". Phytochemistry. 22 (7): 1659–61. Bibcode:1983PChem..22.1659N. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(83)80105-8.
  5. ^ "About Ooshima Tsumugimura|Ooshima Tsumugi Mura".
  6. ^ "Oshima Tsumugi and Mud Dyeing" (PDF).
  7. ^ "花咲く生垣におすすめ「シャリンバイ(車輪梅)」 – お庭から始まる豊かなグリーンライフ「庭サポ」".