''Epigaea asiatica'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of ''

Epigaea ''Epigaea'' is a small genus of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. The species are small creeping shrubs that are typically anywhere from tall at full growth, forming large patches. The leaves are evergreen, alternate and simple, ranging a ...

'' from

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Seeds are dispersed by ants.

Description

''Epigaea asiatica'' is an evergreen shrub up to 0.1 m (0 ft 4 in) by 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in). It is hardy to zone (UK) 4. It is leafy all year round, in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has male and female organs).

Uses

The fruits of ''Epigaea asiatica'', called ''iwanashi'' (katakana: イワナシ; kanji: 岩梨), which are harvested from the wild, are used in seasonal dishes in some parts of Japan. File:Epigaea asiatica (fruits s3).JPG , Fruits File:Epigaea asiatica 3.JPG , Plants File:Epigaea asiatica (flower s2).JPG , Flowers

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q11287286 asiatica