Page 8 - Царь-трава белокопытник японский
P. 8
People call Japanese
butterbur all the different
names! They are the
«The huts of the Ainu were carried away by the
wind; women, children and elders were soaked to the Tsar-grass, the Plague-
bone. And suddenly large plants rose high as the hut grass, the Royal root. The
right from the water. Each Ainu sat under a leaf, and larger summer leaves are
four children could fit under each leaf as well. And the shaped like hoof marks
rain was not scary anymore», — says the ancient Ainu — hence the name White
legend about a man's acquaintance with butterbur. Hoof Each of us has seen
Strength and power are felt in the appearance of this this plant at least once in
giant, it is not for nothing that another name of this our life, as it is really hard
plant is the Bear-grass. not to notice it. Anton
Chekhov also mentioned
its scale more than once: «I have never met such huge
Reference: Japanese Butterbur, or Wide Butterbur butterburs, and they mainly give the local forest glades
(Petasites japonicus) is a herbaceous perennial plant with a and meadows an original physiognomy. I already
long branched rhizome, 5 to 10 mm thick.
The growing season of the plant begins with the growth wrote that at night, especially in the moonlight, they
of peduncles reaching a height of 40 cm. Yellowish-white or seem fantastic. <…> On the way we meet women who
yellowish-greenish flowers are collected in bolls. The number sheltered from the rain with large butterbur leaves.
of bolls on a peduncle is up to 30 pieces. When the blooming <…>The further from Aleksandrovsk, the narrower the
ends, the peduncles continue to grow and by the time of valley becomes, the darkness thickens, giant burdocks
fruiting they stretch up to one meter in height. begin to seem like tropical plants. <...>
Leaves appear later. In Sakhalin conditions, they develop
during May. Plants of this species have the largest leaves
not only of butterbur, but in general among all plants of the Interesting fact: The Russian name of butterbur comes
their family: the width of the leaf blade reaches up to 100 cm, from the old Russian word «lop» — «a leaf», which the plant got
sometimes 150 cm, the length of the petiole is 200 cm (the because of its wide leaves. Even the word «butterbur» itself has
usual length is from 70 to 150 cm). The leaves are reniform, acquired a common noun meaning and is colloquially applied
bright green or dark green on top and white tomentose on to all plants with large leaves, as well as to simple people who
the underside. Leaves die off with the first autumn frosts. are easily fooled. This reflected the idea of butterbur as the
Grows in Korea, China, Japan. In Russia, it is found on the most common, simple plant that can be found under any
Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island. fence.
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