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''Diphylleia grayi'', the skeleton flower, is a
The plant grows up to and flowers from June to July. After it flowers, it bears dark blue-purple fruit with a white powdery coating. The plant is known to have petals that become transparent when in contact with water, giving it its common name. Once it is dry, the petals return to white.
File:Diphylleia grayi (200208).jpg, Fruit
File:Diphylleia grayi (young fruits).JPG, Young fruits
File:Diphylleia grayi (flowers).JPG, Flowers
File:Diphylleia grayi (bud).JPG, Bud
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
in the family Berberidaceae
The Berberidaceae are a family of 18 genera of flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 700 known species, of which the majority are in ''Berberis''. The species i ...
. It is native to northern and central Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Description
The plant grows up to and flowers from June to July. After it flowers, it bears dark blue-purple fruit with a white powdery coating. The plant is known to have petals that become transparent when in contact with water, giving it its common name. Once it is dry, the petals return to white.
Distribution and habitat
The plant is distributed from north to centralHonshu
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
, Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, Mount Daisen
, is a dormant stratovolcano in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It has an elevation of 1,729 metres. This mountain is the highest in the Chūgoku region, and the most important volcano on the Daisen volcanic belt, which is a part of the Southwestern H ...
, and Sakhalin
Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh: ...
. It grows in slightly moist places in the woods of high mountains.
In popular culture
South Korean artist Jonghyun, a member of the boy bandShinee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
, wrote and released a song titled "Diphylleia Grayi" in 2015 as part of his album '' Story Op.1''. The composition "Diphylleia Grayi" uses the double-leaf metaphor as the personification of internal and external struggle. In September 2015, Jonghyun presented his book ''Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free''.
Gallery
References
Berberidaceae Flora of Japan {{Ranunculales-stub