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''Zanthoxylum piperitum'', the Japanese pepper, Japanese pricklyash, or sanshō ((日本語:山椒)) is a deciduous aromatic spiny shrub or small tree, belonging to the Rutaceae (citrus and rue) family. Natural range spans from Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan, southern parts of the Korean peninsula, and Chinese mainland. The related ''Z. schinifolium'' ((日本語:イヌザンショウ) pron. ''inuzanshō'', lit., "dog sansho") occurs as far south as Yakushima, attaining a height of 3 meters.〔 The plant is important commercially. The pulverized mature fruits ("peppercorns" or "berries") known as "Japanese pepper" or ''kona-zanshō'' ((日本語:粉ざんしょう)) are the standard spice for sprinkling on the broiled eel (kabayaki unagi) dish. It is also one of the seven main ingredients of the blended spice called ''shichimi'', which also contains red chili peppers.〔, under shichimi tōgarashi〕 It is also a host plant for several of Japan indigenous swallowtail butterfly species, including the common ''Papilio xuthus''. ==Description== The tree blooms in April to May, forming axillary flower clusters, about 5mm, and yellow-green in color. It is dioecious, and the flowers of the male plant can be consumed as ''hana-sanshō'', while the female flowers yield berries or peppercorns of about 5mm. For commercial harvesting, thornless varieties called the Asakura sansho are widely cultivated.〔 Around September to October, the berries turn scarlet and burst, scattering the black seeds within. The branch grows pairs of sharp thorns, and has odd-pinnately compound leaves, alternately arranged, with 5〜9 pairs of ovate leaflets having crenate (slightly serrated) margins. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zanthoxylum piperitum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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