Thursday, January 22, 2015

Carpe Diem #653, Yuzuriha


!! This post will be published earlier, because I am in the nightshift !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As I told in episode 652 I ran into several "strange" kigo and today such a kigo is our prompt. Today our prompt is Yuzuriha (or Daphniphyllum Macropodum)
Yuzuriha is a plant with long broaded evergreen leaves and it was very common in ancient Japan to use it as an ornament for New Year to celebrate the good relationship of old and new generations . There is no English-name for it. Here is a small description of this plant:

Daphniphyllum macropodum is a shrub or small tree found in China, Japan and Korea. Like all species in the genus Daphniphyllum, D. macropodum is dioecious, that is male and female flowers are borne on different plants. The timber is used in China in construction and furniture making. It is grown as an ornamental plant, chiefly for its foliage.
Credits: Yuzuriha (in it's habitat)
As I look at this photo of Yuzuriha it looks somewhat similar with the rhododendron in my backyard, but as you can see in our next photo it's blossoms/flowers are looking very different than the blossom/flowers of the rhododendron.
 
Credits: Yuzuriha flowers (cultivated)
It's a very beautiful plant and those flowers/blossoms are really gorgeous. And as you can see at it's "construction" than you can understand the meaning of Yuzuriha, to celebrate the good relationship of old and new generations, it's very complexed. 
 
I have sought for an example of haiku with this Yuzuriha in it, but I couldn't find one, so I have to write one myself with this New Year kigo:

yuzuriha blooms
together with my kids and grandkids
picking the flowers

celebrating New Year
an Ikebana piece on the table
adoring it's beauty

© Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but I think these haiku are nice examples of this Yuzuriha. Yuzuriha must be an awesome flower to use in an Ikebana piece as you look at the bright green leaves and the complexity of it's flowers. Just one branch with flowers is already gorgeous.
 
Credits: Ikebana piece (sadly without yuzuriha) for New Year
This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 25th at noon.

 

1 comment:

  1. An interesting post, Chevrefeuille --- and I thought your haiku did justice to this beautiful plant. I really does look like rhododendron in a way. Such a complex plant --- too bad there aren't more haiku about it!

    Found a really interesting haiku --

    breeze folds sunlight
    on the “yuzuriha” leaf –
    twilight birds return

    (c) Narayanan Raghunathan
    http://auminfinitecosmoses.com/sheets/view/2130

    All the best to you, Chev ---

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