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leaves perfect or diaecious flowers are produced. The fruits are
round or oblong, being about one inch long. The unripe fruits
are collected and pressed to get Shibu, an astringent juice, which
is used to give a brown colour to paper, cloth, wood, etc. by
painting it on them and to protect them from rottening. The
fruits are edible. The centre black wood is called
fully ripe
Kuro-kaki (black persimmon). The Shibu is obtained also from
other astringent persimmons.
369. Ilex pedunCUlosa, Miq., Jap. Soyogo, Suzukashi ;
an evergreen wild tree of the order Aquifoliacea3, growing about
10 fts. high. It is a diaecious plant.
The male flowers are small,
white, and in clusters, and the female flowers are loosely arranged
and produce small round red fruits. A brown dye
is got by
boiling the
leaves.
370. Lithospermum erythrorMzon, S. et Z., Jap.
Murasaki, Nemurasaki ; a perennial herb of the order Boraginacea3,
grown wild or planted in gardens, attaining to a height of
about 2 fts. The head of the branches bears small white flowers,
which produce small round seeds. In winter the roots are collected
and dried for a purple dye. The wild roots are superior to
the
planted.
371. Basella rubra, L, Jap. Tsuru-murasaki ; an
annual cultivated climber of the order Chenopodiaceae. The
leaf-axils produce branches, which bear loosely arranged flowers
and then pea-sized small round deep purple berries. The purple
dye got from the berries is very fine, but it is liable to fade.
The leaves are edible as a vegetable.
372. Polygonum tinctorium, L., Jap. At, Tadeai,
Aitade ; an annual herbaceous plant of the order Polygonacea?
commonly cultivated in dry fields and sometimes in paddy fields,
growing 1-2 fts. high. It produces pink flowers disposed in
spikes, and then seeds. The leave are long and narrow, oval, etc.
according to the different varieties. The dried leaves are made
into indigo balls.