These are unique flowers that add color to the evening twilight.
“Oshiroibana” or Four-o’clock flowers planted along the fence of a nursery school in the southeastern part of NISHIOGI.
It is a perennial herb originated in tropical America, and grows to a height of around 80cm. It is said to have been introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867).
The flowers bloom in the evening and wilt by the next morning, so it is a one-day flower. It is said that the name comes from the fact that when the black fruit is crushed, a white powder similar to face powder comes out, and in the Edo period, it was actually used as a substitute for face powder.
Incidentally, the flower language of “Oshiroibana” is, for example, “shyness.”
複色の花
夕暮れ時を彩る個性的な花です。
西荻の南東地区の保育園の柵沿いに植栽されている「オシロイバナ（白粉花）」。
熱帯アメリカ原産の多年草で、草丈は80cm前後。江戸時代に日本に渡来したとのこと。
花は夕方に咲きはじめ翌朝にはしぼむ一日花。黒い果実をつぶすと、「おしろい」のような白い粉がでることからこの名がついたと言われますが、江戸時代には実際に「おしろい」の代用とされたこともあるそうです。
因みに、「オシロイバナ」の花言葉は、例えば「内気」。
