Japanese name: ゴマ（胡麻） Scientific name:Sesamum orientale
[Overview]
An annual about 1 m tall.
The place of origin is unknown.
The stem is square in cross section.
The leaves are simple and opposite, though they may be alternate in the upper part; they are oblong to lanceolate with entire margins, and have nectaries at the base.
One to three flowers are borne in the leaf axils, and each flower withers in a day.
The flower color varies with the cultivar, such as white, pink or purple, and there are purple or yellow spots.
The fruit is a cylindrical capsule containing many small seeds.
[History]
It has been cultivated in Europe and China since before the Common Era.
In Japan, too, it was already being cultivated in the 600s.
[Uses]
The seeds are highly nutritious and are used as food or pressed for oil.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers heat and sunlight, and sowing requires a soil temperature of 20 °C.
