Oak trees Quercus

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Oak Trees / Quercus

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

The family Fagaceae, or beech family,
comprises about 900 species of both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, which are characterized by alternate simple leaves with pinnate venation, unisexual flowers in the form of catkins, and fruit in the form of cup-like (cupule) nuts.
The best-known group of this family is the oaks, genus Quercus, the fruit of which is a non-valved nut (usually containing one seed) called an acorn.

Castanea - Chestnuts
Castanopsis
Chrysolepis - Golden chinkapin
Colombobalanus
Fagus - Beeches
Formanodendron
Lithocarpus - Stone oaks
Quercus - Oaks
Trigonobalanus



An Oak is a tree or shrub
in the genus Quercus, of which about 600 species exist on earth.
The flowers are catkins, produced in spring. The fruit is a nut called an acorn, borne in a cup-like structure known as a cupule; each acorn contains one seed (rarely two or three) and takes 6–18 months to mature, depending on species.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Let us look at some types of Japanese oaks (kashi 樫) and their kigo.

The most important varieties:

akagashi アカガシ　（赤樫　別名：oogashi, オオガシ、oobagashi オオバガシ　学名：Quercus acuta）
arakashi アラカシ　Quercus glauca
hanagakashi ハナガカシ　Quercus hondae
ichiigashi イチイガシ　（一位樫　学名：Quercus gilva ）
kashi 樫 ... Quercus
kunugi 櫟 Quercus acutissima
shikubanegashi ツクバネガシ　（衝羽根樫　　学名：Quercus sessilifolia）
shirakashi シラカシ　（白樫・白橿　学名：Quercus myrsinifolia ）
ubamegashi ウバメガシ　（姥目樫　別名：イマメガシ・ウマメガシ　　学名：Quercus phillyraeoides）
urajirogashi ウラジロガシ　（裏白樫　　学名：Quercus salicina）

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kigo for late spring

kashi no hana 樫の花 (かしのはな) Kashi-oak tree blossoms


. ichi-i no hana　 一位の花　いちいのはな flower of the yew tree 　
Taxus cuspida. ichii



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kigo for early summer

kashi wakaba 樫若葉 (かしわかば) young leaves of the Kashi-oak
..... kashi shigeru 樫茂る（かししげる）


kunugi no hana 櫟の花 (くぬぎのはな) flowers of the Kunugi-oak
..... tsurubami 橡（つるばみ）、ichii, ichi-i いちい
donguri no ki 団栗の木（どんぐりのき） "acorn tree)


shii wakaba 椎若葉 (しいわかば) young leaves of the Shii-oak
shii ochiba 椎落葉（しいおちば）fallen leaves of the Shii-oak
Castanopsis cuspidata. pasania. Shii-Castanopsis



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shii no hana 椎の花 (しいのはな) flowers of the Shii-oak
..... shihi no hana しひのはな
..... hana shii 花椎
kigo for mid-summer

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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kigo for mid-autumn

tsukubane 衝羽根 (つくばね) Tsukubane-oak
..... tsukubane 突羽根（つくばね）
kogi no ko 胡鬼の子（こぎのこ）
hago no ki 羽子の木（はごのき）
Quercus sessilifolia

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kigo for late autumn

donguri 団栗 (どんぐり) acorn (from an oak tree)
..... kunugi no mi 櫟の実（くぬぎのみ）acorns from the Kunugi-oak tree
Quercus acutissima, Spitzeiche

dongurigoma 、団栗独楽（どんぐりごま）top made from an acorn
donguri mochi 団栗餅（どんぐりもち） rice cake with acorns
Eichel

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. ichi-i no mi　一位の実　(いちいのみ)
berry of the yew tree
Taxus cuspida. ichii



kashi no mi 樫の実 (かしのみ) acorn
from the evergreen Kashi-oak
..... 橿の実（かしのみ）



mochi no mi 黐の実 (もちのみ) ilex fruit
mochi no ki no mi もちの木の実（もちのきのみ）
toosei 冬青（とうせい）"winter green"
Quercus ilex. Steineiche




nara no mi なら (楢 ) の実　Japanese oak acorn
Quercus serrata / Quercus crispula



shii no mi 椎の実 (しいのみ) Shii-oak acorns
..... ochi shii 落椎（おちしい）fallen acorns
..... shii hirou 椎拾う（しいひろう）collecting acorns
pasania; chinquapin
Shii-Castanopsis, Castanopsis cuspidata


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kigo for all winter

fuyu kashiwa 冬柏 (ふゆかしわ) Kashiwa-oak in winter
kashiwa no kareha 柏の枯葉（かしわのかれは）dried leaves of Kashiwa
karekashiwa 枯柏（かれかしわ） withered kashiwa
Quercus dentata



kunugi karu 櫟枯る（くぬぎかる） withering Kunugi-oak


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Worldwide use



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Things found on the way


Nuts from the Forest

Buna no mi ぶなのみ (欅／椈　の実）beechnut
Chestnut, sweet chestnut (kuri 栗)
Kurumi くるみ　(胡桃) walnuts
Nara no mi なら (楢 ) の実　Japanese oak acorns
Tochi とち (橡／栃／杼) horse chestnut
. Food from the Bountiful Woods
(Mori no Megumi) 　


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HAIKU

fallen oak leaf ...
one by one my friends
reach half a century

. . . . .

In the square where we live, nine oak trees add presénce. It is a joy to watch them grow new leaves in spring and then to watch these leaves fall in autumn.
Right now, the branches are draped with snow.

oak trees
my twenty-two years
as an immigrant

Ella Wagemakers
Philippines, Netherlands


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crescent moon --
snow-covered oak trees
float in the fog




Haiku and Photos
© Isabelle Prondzynski, Ireland
December 2010



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Related words

***** Berries and related kigo



AUTUMN . . . PLANTS -
SAIJIKI

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Gardenia (kuchinashi)

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Gardenia (kuchinashi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

kigo for mid-summer


Gardenia jasminoides

kuchinashi no hana 梔子の花 (くちなしのはな)
gardenia flowers
..... hanakuchinashi 花梔子（はなくちなし）


lit. kuchi nashi means : to have no mouth.


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kigo for late autumn



kuchinashi no mi 梔子の実 (くちなしのみ) gardenia fruit
..... kuchinashi no mi 山梔子の実（くちなしのみ）


The yellow color is used to enhance some food preparations.

. WASHOKU
kiku kabura 菊かぶら / 菊蕪 "chrysanthemum turnip" 　
pickles


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Gardenia jasminoides (also known as Gardenia augusta)
is a fragrant flowering evergreen tropical plant, a favorite in gardens worldwide. It originated in Asia and is most commonly found growing in Vietnam, Southern China, Taiwan, Japan and India. With its shiny green leaves and fragrant white summer flowers, it is widely used in gardens in warm temperate and subtropical climates.

Evidence of Gardenia jasminoides in cultivation in China dates to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), where both wild and double-flowered forms have been depicted in paintings, such as those of the Song Emperor Huizong.

Gardenia jasminoides fructus (fruit) is used within Traditional Chinese Medicine to "drain fire" and thereby treat certain febrile conditions.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Worldwide use


Gardenie


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU




くちなしの花香りたる交差点
kuchinashi no hana kaoritaru koosaten

the gardenia flowers
are so very fragrant
at the crossroads

source : yoshizo


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gardenia –
the lingering smell of
Daruma's stroll
Chibi


kuchinashi ya
Daruma talks
you have no mouth
Gabi

source : Haiku about Daruma



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rainy december
gardenia at the corner
keeps on withering

source : Wedomartani, Wahyu W. Basjir 2009


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Related words

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Pomegranate (zakuro)

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Pomegranate (zakuro)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Mid-autumn
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

zakuro 石榴（柘榴）(ざくろ) pomegranate
Punica granatum

mizakuro 実石榴 pomegranate fruit



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A pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to between five and eight meters tall. The pomegranate is native to the Iranian Plateau, and has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, India, Israel, the drier parts of southeast Asia, Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia, the Mediterranean and Southern Europe and tropical Africa.



The name "pomegranate" derives from
Latin pomum ("apple") and granatus ("seeded").

Hinduism
In Hinduism, the pomegranate (Sanskrit: Beejpur, literally: replete with seeds) symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and is associated with both Bhoomidevi (the earth goddess) and Lord Ganesha (who is also called Bijapuraphalasakta, or the one fond of the many-seeded fruit).
Every part of the plant [root, bark, flowers, fruit, leaves] is used for medicinal purposes in Ayurveda.
More about the symbolism is HERE
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Kishibojin
used to eat children before she was converted by Shakyamuni Buddha.
Now she is the protector of children and eats pomegranates (zakuro ザクロ) instead .

. Kishibojin 鬼子母神 .





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Worldwide use

Granatapfel


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Yemen

Pomegranates burst ...
awaiting us to get ready
for new elections

Heike Gewi, September 2011


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Things found on the way


. Kariteimoten (Hariti) Kishimojin 鬼子母神 　
A deity eating children, later pomegranates ザクロ instead, after Shakyamuni Buddha convinced her not to eat children any more.


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zakuro guchi, zakuroguchi 柘榴口（ざくろぐち)
special entrance in a public bath
Special ladies (yuna 湯女) would come through this entrance to the male bathers and wash their backs. This entrance is about 90 cm wide. To give more brightness to the room, its walls were painted white.





quote
At the beginning, two sliding doors were fixed in the doorway to keep the hot steam inside. But it was not enough, so zakuroguchi was made to improve it. Zakuroguchi was a board that almost covered the front of bathtub from the ceiling. People had to stoop because zakuroguchi had a low entrance.
One interesting theory of the origin of this strange name zakuroguchi“ (“pomegranate gate“) is that the fruit juice of zakuro (pomegranate) was needed to clean a mirror at that time.
This is in fact a play on words.
Mirror is “kagami“ and to need something is “iru“ in Japanese. To stoop is “kagamu“ and to enter is also “iru“ in Japanese. So they had to ’stoop (“kagamu“) to enter (“iru“)’ a zakuroguchi just as ’a mirror (“kagami“) needed (“iru“) a pomegranate, or zakuro.’

In zakuroguchi, it was dark. When people in Edo city entered the bath, instead of just saying “Excuse me,” they often called out something such as: “Branches (= limbs) will touch you” or “I'm from the country” and then people in the bath cleared their throat to tell their presence. (See the illustrations of zakuroguchi: the above one from Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs, by J. M. W. Silver published in London in 1867 and the below one from Great Encyclopedia Vol.10 published in Tokyo in 1932.)
source : decodingkyoto.policy-science.jp




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HAIKU


露人ワシコフ叫びて石榴打ち落す　　
rojin Washikofu sakebite zakuro uchiotosu

the Russian Washikoff
shouted out and hit
a pomegranate


西東三鬼 Saito Sanki (Saitoo) 1900-1962

. Saito Sanki and New Haiku 　



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Related words

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