Shikimi skimmia

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Skimmia (shikimi)

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

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Explanation

Skimmia
is a genus of four species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the Rue family, Rutaceae, all native to warm temperate regions of Asia. The leaves are clustered at the ends of the shoots, simple, lanceolate, 6-21 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, with a smooth margin. The flowers are in dense panicle clusters, each flower small, 6-15 mm diameter, with 4-7 petals.
The fruit is red to black, 6-12 mm diameter, a fleshy drupe containing a single seed. All parts of the plant have a pungent aroma when crushed.

The botanical name, Skimmia, is a Latinization of
shikimi (シキミ, 樒), which is the Japanese name for Illicium religiosum as well as an element in

miyama shikimi (ミヤマシキミ, 深山樒), the Japanese name for Skimmia japonica.

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kigo for late spring

shikimi no hana 樒の花 (しきみのはな) shikimi blossoms
..... shikisoo no hana 莽草の花（しきそうのはな）
..... kooshiba no hana こうしばの花（こうしばのはな）
..... koo no ki no hana こうの木の花（こうのきのはな）
hanashiba はなしば、hana no ki はなの木（はなのき）
hana shikimi 花樒（はなしきみ）
Skimmia japonica

It grows in mountain regions and blossoms in April. The blossoms are quite fragrant.
Its fruit in autumn is like a star. It is used in offerings for Buddhist and Shinto rituals.


In rural Japan, shikimi trees are planted next to the family graves in front of the home. They look fresh and green all the time and can be used for seasonal offerings.


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Skimmia japonica
is a shrub that is popularly cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. Its flower can be cream-yellow to white. The fruit is a small round berry that ranges in color from purple to red. It can tolerate frost and droughts. It has been hybridized with Skimmia anquetilia to create Skimmia × confusa. It is suitable for Bonsai.

This species is native to Japan. It is also grown in Chinese gardens. This species has many cultivar forms.
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kigo for all winter

miyama shikimi 深山樒 (みやましきみ) Skimmia Shikimi
lit. "Shikimi of the deep mountain"


. Plants - SAIJIKI .


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

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Illicium anisatum
commonly known as the Japanese star anise, is a tree similar to Chinese star anise. It is highly toxic, therefore it is not edible; instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan, where it is known as shikimi (樒). Cases of illness, including serious neurological effects such as seizures, reported after using star anise tea may be a result of using this species.




I. anisatum is native to Japan. It is similar to I. verum, but its fruit is smaller and with weaker odor, which is said to be more similar to cardamom than to anise. While it is poisonous and therefore unsuitable for using internally, it is used for treatment of some skin problems in traditional Chinese medicine.
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HAIKU

むら雨や墓のしきみも夏木立
murasame ya haka no shikimi mo natsu kodachi

rain shower--
the grave's shikimi branches, too
are summer trees

Kobayashi Issa

Branches of the shikimi tree are placed on Buddhist graves. In my vision of this haiku, the rain is causing these branches to bud. Shinji Ogawa doubts that Issa intended the above reading of shikimi.
He writes that shikimi can mean "threshold" (usually pronounced shiki-i). He visualizes the haiku in the following way: "Viewing the grave as a house, Issa saw the summer tree as the threshold."
Tr. David Lanoue


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狼に墓の樒の乱されし　
ookami ni haka no shikimi no midasareshi

the wolves
have thoroughly destroyed
the shikimi around the grave

石井露月 Ishii Rogetsu (1873-1928)

. Wolf (ookami) .


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Related words

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