Japanese "moon flowers" yuugao = which species?
I'm cross and double checking sources.
Is the Japanese plant called "evening face" or moon flower yuugao really just the humble calabash Lagenaria Siceria?
Thanks for help confirming this!
I have checked Google and Wikipedia but only one entry was definite so I thought I better do one more check!
Update:A great answer Brigitte. I 'd getting images of the other moon flower which is why I needed to check.
That book you mentioned is not in our librar. I will try to get it by inter library loan if I can!
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There is some confusion in publications about Yuugao, moon flower:
"Yuugao (mentioned in the Tale of Genji) appears to be Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida according to the website below. It's a big ugly gourd, but it has a night-blooming, white flower. Let's hope Genji never let his lover see the fruit of this plant! The more attractive, hourglass-shaped gourd which we often see as a motif in Chinese and Japanese art seems to be Lagenaria siceraria.
Yorugao is our familiar Ipomoea alba, known as Moonflower, a member of the morning glory family which has night-blooming white flowers. According to the website, Yorugao is sometimes mistakenly called Yuugao. In "Garden Plants of Japan" Ran Levy-Yamamori says this plant was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era, which would make it impossible for this to be the plant in Tale of Genji."
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/jgard/msg1...
Here ( and in the most publications )you find the assertion, it is Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/plantsandjapan/page080....
And here photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brucewood/2705694535/
http://hhana.biz/photo.php?photo=940
A pic of Ipomoea alba:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/11179/