ヤツデの花 flower of Japanese aralia

ヤツデの葉はサポニンを含みます。サポニンは、その界面活性作用により細胞膜を破壊する特性があります。その昔、トイレのそばにヤツデがよく植えられたのは、蛆虫退治に葉が使われたからだそうです。

The leaf of the Japanese aralia contains saponin. The saponin has a characteristic to destroy a cell membrane by the surface-active action. The reason why it was planted well near a restroom in the old days seems to be that the leaves were used for maggot extermination.