a74 Sino-Iranica 



abbreviated name of which is kurumi; local names are ogurumi (Prov- 

 ince of Kaga), okkoromi (eastern provinces), and so on. This giant wal- 

 nut grows to a large tree. Its leaves are much like those of the lacquer- 

 tree (Rhus vernificera DC.) and a little larger; they have finely serrated 

 margins. Its new leaves come out in the spring. It flowers in the 

 autumn. 



"The flower-clusters resemble chestnut-catkins, but are much 

 larger, ranging in length from six to seven sun; they are yellowish white 

 and pendulous. A single flower is very small, like that of a chestnut. 

 The fruit is peach-shaped and green, but turns black when ripe. The 

 shells are very hard and thick, and can be opened by being put on the 

 fire for a little while; then insert' a knife in the slit or fissure between the 

 shells, which thus break. The kernels are good for human food, and 

 are also used for feeding little birds. 



"One species called hime-gurumi ('demoiselle walnut,' Juglans 

 cordijormis Maxim., ex Matsumura, I.e.), or me-gurumi ('female wal- 

 nut,' from the province of Kaga), has thin shells with fewer furrows, and 

 the kernels can easily be taken out. Under the heading lukai (£i-kie, 

 explanatory information in the Pen ts'ao), this kind of walnut is de- 

 scribed as 'a walnut produced in Cinso (C'en-ts'an, a place in Fuh- 

 siah fu, Sen-si, China) with thin shells and many surfaces,' so we call 

 it linso-gurumi (Pen-ts'an hu-Vao). 1 This variety is considered the 

 best of all yama-gurumi (Ian hu Vao, wild walnuts), because no other 

 variety has such saddle-shaped kernels entirely removable from the 

 shells. 



"A species called karasu-gurumi ('crow walnut') is a product of the 

 province of E6igo; it has a shell that opens by itself when ripe, and 

 looks like a crow's bill when opened, whence it is called 'crow walnut.' 



"Another variety from 0§io-mura village of the Aidzu district is 

 called gonroku-gurumi ('Gonroku's walnut'); it has a very small shell 

 capable of being used as ojime ('string-fastener of a pouch'). This 

 name is taken from the personal name of a man called Anazawa Gon- 

 roku, in whose garden this variety originated. It is said that the same 

 kind has been found in the province of Kai. 



"A variety found at Nosuo, province of U§Q (Uzen and Ugo), 

 is much larger in size, and has thinner shells, easily crushed by hand, 

 so that the kernels may be taken out without using any tools. The 

 name of this variety is therefore teuU-gurumi ('hand-crushed walnut')." 



The most interesting point in these Japanese notes is presented by 



1 Compare above, p. 264. 



