Rhaphiolepis umbellata

Species of flowering plant

Rhaphiolepis umbellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Rhaphiolepis
Species:	R. umbellata
Binomial name
Rhaphiolepis umbellata Makino
Synonyms[1]
Laurus umbellata Thunb. Mespilus sieboldii Blume Rhaphiolepis indica f. umbellata (Thunb.) Hatus. Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata (Thunb.) H. Ohashi Rhaphiolepis japonica var. integerrima Hook. f. Rhaphiolepis ovata Briot

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Rhaphiolepis umbellata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Growing to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall and wide, it is an evergreen shrub with glossy oval leaves, and scented white flowers, sometimes tinged with pink, in early summer.^[2]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[3] It is used in Japan as an astringent and a dyeing agent. The bark contains (−)-catechin 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and (+)-catechin 5-0-β-d-glucopyranoside.^[4]

Uses

Known as Sharinbai (車輪梅) in Japan and as Techigi in Amami Oshima, this plant is used to create a dye to create the highly valued Ōshima-tsumugi kimono. The bark of the tree is chopped into chips and boiled for over 10 hours. This tannin rich decoction serves as a dye for the silk threads. After dyeing, the threads are then dyed in mud from paddy fields rich in iron content for post-mordanting until they turn black. ^[5][6]

Additionally, due to its resilience to drying and air pollution, Sharinbai trees are planted along roadsides. Their glossy evergreen leaves make them suitable for garden planting, enduring well against frequent pruning.^[7]

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  The veins of the leaves are obvious and special.
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  The sprouts are covered with white fluff.
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  The sprouts and the leaves.
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  Fruits look somewhat like little figs.

References