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yIJUz
(Botanical name:Schima Wallichii ssp. liukiuensis )
The Meteorological Agency announced that the rainy season of Amami District
started on May 22 this year. The flower of Iju, which is one of the most
conspicuous in the fields and mountains during the rainy season, is full of
idyllic charm. Iju belongs to the camellia family and is indigenous to Ryukyu
(i.e. Amammian and Okinawan) Islands. An Iju tree is sometimes as tall as 20
meters. In olden times, it was used as house timber, especially for
takakura (Amami's traditional storehouse) pillars.
The flower whose dense yellow
stamens are surrounded by five white petals has a lovely sweetish smell. So Iju
blossoms attract butterflies like Asagimadara and various other insects. The
blossoms can be seen from mid-May to early July. I have once seen Iju honey in a
jar produced in Okinawa, but never tasted it. I wonder what the flavor is
like?
It is said that people formerly used
the powdered Iju bark as a toxicant to catch fish. Small tide pools on the coral
reefs at low tide were their targets.
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| ¦To enlarge, please click the photo. |