 | Location: Aqua World Suigo Park Center
Onibasu (Japanese lotus) is a yearly plant
that belongs to the pond lily family.
In Japan, they flourish in warm and tropical
meadows ranging form Nigata to Kagoshima
prefecture. The direct translation forOnibasu
is gDevil lotush because it looks like lotus with
thorns. Their unique traits are: rapid growth
in summer, long-lasting seeds and
transformation of the leaves. |
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Onibasu often disturbed rice-growing
process by its thorns and large leaves that
would completely cover the ditches and
fields. On the other hand, its seeds were
edible when roasted. It was never a rare
plant until the early Showa Era (1926-1989).
Today, itfs in danger of extinction due to
the less number of ponds and ditches that
the ground leveling works left in recent
years. |  |
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| The growth of Onibasu |
 | 1.Germination
Seeds sprout at the bottom of the water
when temperature rises in the early
summer. |
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 | 2. Leaves developing
Shortly, it spreads its fine roots in the mud
and its leaves on the surface. The early
leaves have slits in them, and gradually
are shaped in the round. |
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 | 3. Ripe fruit on the water surface
Its larger leaves size more than 2m. Their
veins develop and thorns grow out of them.
The flowers are about 4cm in diameter and
open in the day. When pollinated, they
sink in the water until the ripe ovary floats
near the surface and break. |
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 | 4. Seeds spreading on the water
surface
A fruit can produce about 80 seeds. Their
skins enable them to spread themselves on
the water surface for a while. They sink
in the water when the skins decay. |
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A reference : Kaizu-cho Borad of Educarion |
1- 585,Takasu,Kaizu-cho, Kaizu-shi
Phone No. : 0584-53-3011 |
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The person in charge : Mr.Sane Suwa |
7,Fukahama, Kaizu-cho ,Kaizu-shi
Phone No. : 0584-53-0272 |
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