Cardiocrinum cordatum var. cordatum ("Ubayuri")

Japanese name: ウバユリ （姥百合）
Scientific name: Cardiocrinum cordatum var. cordatum

[Overview]
A perennial 60–100 cm tall, found at the edges of deciduous forests in hills and mountains and in slightly moist hollows.
It has a bulb 2–3 cm in diameter underground.
Young plants produce only basal leaves, but as the bulb grows, the stem becomes erect and the basal leaves disappear.
The leaves unfold from early spring, and several are borne in a whorl-like arrangement on the lower half of the stem.
The leaves are broadly ovate-elliptic, 15–25 cm long, with a heart-shaped base and netted veins.
The leaves have long petioles.
The flower stalk grows from around May and bears a raceme with several flowers facing sideways.
The flowers are 6-petaled, 7–10 cm long, greenish white, with pale brown spots on the inside.
The flowers are half-open, open in the evening, and have a strong fragrance.
The fruit is an elliptical capsule 4–5 cm long; when ripe, only the upper part splits open, a structure that allows the seeds to be dispersed efficiently only on windy days.
The seeds are flat, 10–13 mm long, with a broad membrane.
After flowering, the plant forms 1–2 small bulbs and the parent plant dies.

[Uses]
The new shoots, young leaves and bulbs are edible.
Good-quality starch can be obtained from the bulb, and it is also used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Grow it in bright partial shade to shade.
Strong direct sunlight can cause leaf scorch.
It is not particular about soil, but prefers soil that is well drained and retains moisture well.

[Notes]
The Japanese name is said to come from the fact that the leaves are often absent when the flowers bloom, which was likened to a toothless old woman (uba).

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