常磐山査子(ピラカンサ) firethorn

　ピラカンサの、鈴なりの赤い実が目を引きます。これだけたくさんの実が生っているので、花も沢山咲いたと思いますが、印象にありません。ここは、時々通る散歩道なんですが。
　10月から11月頃の赤い実には、微量の毒素が含まれています。1月から2月頃になると、実は熟し（色は赤のまま）毒性も抜けるので、鳥たちの恰好の食べ物になります。ピラカンサの生存戦略は、種が未熟なうちに食べ尽くされないよう、完熟のまえには、微量の毒や渋みを持たせています。これは、発芽能力を持った種を、鳥に食べてもらい、遠くに運んでもらうためです。

　The red berries really catch the eye, growing in clusters on the Firethorn. Since there are so many fruits growing, I imagine there must have been plenty of flowers as well, but I don’t recall seeing any. However, this is a walking path I sometimes take. 
　The red berries that appear from around October through November contain tiny amounts of toxins. From January through February, they actually ripen (color is still red) and lose their toxicity, making them a perfect food source for birds. As a survival strategy, Firethorn develops a slight toxicity and astringency before the fruit is fully ripe to prevent the seeds from being eaten while they are still immature. This is so that birds will eat the seeds, which are capable of germinating, and carry them to distant locations.