Mitella furusei

Mitella furusei var. subramosa, commonly known as Charumeruso (Japanese Mitella), is a perennial (rhizomatous) herb and a variety of Mitella furusei belonging to the genus Mitella in the Saxifragaceae family. It is endemic to Japan. In other words, it is a variant of Mitella furusei (Mikawa Charumeruso).

It naturally grows in wetlands and along streams in mountainous areas of central Honshu and further west, as well as in Shikoku and Kyushu.

The flowering stem grows to 30–50 cm in height.
The leaves are basal, stalked, and form a tuft. Both surfaces of the leaf have long hairs and glandular hairs. The leaves are 4–8 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, ovate with a heart-shaped base and blunt tip, and have irregular serrated margins. The upper surface of the leaves is tinged with purple and mottled, while the underside is reddish-purple.

From April to May, it produces a raceme from the flowering stem, with over 20 flowers blooming in sequence from bottom to top.
The petals are pinnately divided into 3–5 lobes and are reddish-brown. The calyx lobes stand upright and are half-curved.
It is an entomophilous flower, pollinated solely by a species of fungus gnat, Antocha mikado, from the Mycetophilidae family.

Origin of the Name
The Japanese name "Charumeruso" derives from the shape of the mature upward-facing fruit, which resembles the charmela (also known as charumera or charumelo), a woodwind instrument similar to the oboe.
The specific epithet "furusei" honors Mr. Miyoshi Furuse (1911–1996), the collector of the species.
The varietal epithet "subramosa" is derived from Latin: "sub" (somewhat) + "ramosa" (branched), meaning "somewhat branched."

Other Species in the Same Genus
Mitella stylosa var. makino (Shikoku Charumeruso), is also endemic to Japan and is a variety of Mitella stylosa (Takimi Charumeruso), an evergreen perennial in the genus Mitella.
It naturally grows in wet areas along mountain streams in the deep mountains of Shikoku and the Ōsumi Peninsula in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Flower Language of Charumeruso
The flower language of Charumeruso is “humility.”

Common Name: Charumeruso (Japanese Mitella)
Scientific Name: Mitella furusei var. subramosa
Taxonomy: Kingdom Plantae – Angiosperms – Eudicots – Saxifragales – Saxifragaceae – Mitella – Mitella furusei
Origin: Endemic to Japan
Habitat: Wetlands and streamside areas in mountainous regions of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu
Life Form: Perennial
Plant Height: 30–50 cm
Petiole Length: 2–8 cm
Leaf Arrangement: Tufted basal leaves
Leaf Surface: Covered with long hairs and glandular hairs on both sides
Leaf Shape: Broadly ovate with a heart-shaped base and blunt tip
Leaf Size: Length 4–8 cm, Width 3–5 cm
Leaf Margin: Irregularly serrated
Leaf Color: Green with reddish veins on the surface; reddish-purple underside
Blooming Season: April to May
Flower Stem Height: 30–50 cm
Flower Pedicel Length: 0.2 cm
Inflorescence Type: Raceme
Flower Shape: Five-petaled, pinnately lobed
Petal Division: 3–5 lobes
Calyx: Upright and half-curved
Pollinator: Only Antocha mikado (a fungus gnat from the Mycetophilidae family)
Fruit Type: Capsule
Note: Self-compatible; functionally unisexual and monoecious.

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