花梨(カリン) Chinese quince

　淡紅色のカリンの花が、新葉に保持されるように枝先に咲いています。背景の紫色はムラサキハナナです。

　A pale pink Chinese quince flower is blooming at the tips of a branch, as if held by new leaves. The purple color in the background is Chinese violet cress.

大島桜(オオシマザクラ) oshimazakura

　オオシマザクラは、日本の固有種です。白い花びらと緑の葉のコントラストに爽やかさを感じます。

　新葉は香りがよいので塩漬けにして、桜餅を包む葉として使用されます。塩漬けにするのは、味付けの他に雑菌の繁殖を防ぐ効果もあります。葉にはクマリンという毒素を含みますが、微量なので健康被害はありません。ぜひ葉も一緒に食べましょう。

　最近は、プラスチックの模造した葉を使った桜餅を、見かけることがありますが、食文化を壊す残念な商行為です。

　Oshimazakura is a species endemic to Japan. The contrast of white petals and green leaves creates a refreshing feeling.

　The new leaves have a fragrant, so they are pickled in salt and used as leaves to wrap sakuramochi. Salting not only enhances the flavor but also prevents bacteria from growing. The leaves have a toxin called coumarin, but the amount is so small that it doesn't pose any health hazards. Be sure to eat the leave together.

　Lately, I've been seeing sakuramochi made with plastic leaves, and this is an unfortunate business practice that is destroying food culture.

エドヒガン edhigan

　肉眼で見た印象とは異なり、写真では花の赤みが強く感じられます。朝日の下で撮ったからかも知れません。

　昨日の記事で、枝垂れ桜のルーツはエドヒガンと書きました。遠くから見るとわかりませんが、近寄ると枝垂れ桜の雰囲気が感じとれます。

　The reddish color of the flower in the photo is stronger than it is in my naked eye. Maybe it's because that I took this photo in the morning sun.

　In yesterday's article, I wrote that the weeping cherry tree has its roots in Edohigan. It is hard to tell from a distance, but when you get closer, you can sense the atmosphere of the weeping cherry tree.

枝垂れ桜 weeping cherry blossom

　枝垂れ桜は枝が垂れ下がる桜の種類の総称です。元を辿ればエドヒガンから派生したらしいです。

　Weeping cherry blossom is a generic name for a type of cherry tree with drooping branches. Edohigan is believed to be the origin of them.

寒緋桜 Kanhizakura (Prunus campanulata)

　本州で、花見といえばソメイヨシノを愛でることですが、ソメイヨシノの分布の南限は鹿児島県なので、それより南方の沖縄での花見は寒緋桜が対象です。

　In the main island of Japan, cherry-blossom viewing means admiring Yoshino cherry trees, but the southern limit of distribution of Yoshino cherry trees is in Kagoshima Prefecture, so cherry-blossom viewing in Okinawa, which is further south than Kagoshima, is for Kanhizakura.

椿(ツバキ) camellia

　ツバキは、冬の花という印象ですが、春まで咲いています。木へんに春と書くので当然といえば当然です。

　Camellias may seem like flowers that bloom in winter, but they actually bloom until spring. The Chinese character (椿) for a camellia is a combination of tree (木) and spring (春), so it is not surprising.

花まつり hana-matsuri (anniversary of the birth of Buddha)

　4月8日は、お釈迦さまの誕生日と言われています。

　同じ日は、忠犬ハチ公の日でもあります。生まれた日でも、亡くなった日でもなく、銅像が建てられた日なのです。

　According to tradition, Buddha was born on April 8th.

　The same day is also the day of the faithful dog Hachiko. Since it is neither the day of his birth nor the day of his death, but the day when his statue was erected, April 8th has been designated as the day of the faithful dog Hachiko. There is a statue of the faithful dog Hachiko, which almost all Japanese people know, in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo.