[Coral Grass Colonies around Lake Saroma] Coral Grass Colony Called Red Carpet

Coral Grass Colonies around Lake Saroma

Lake Saroma (サロマ湖) is a brackish water lake among Kitami city, Saroma town and Yubetsu town, and is the 3rd largest lake after Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) and Lake Kasumigaura (霞ヶ浦) in Japan. The lake has no name in Ainu language, and they called it just lake. It is well-known for tasty seafood such as Oyster and Scallop, and moderate salty lakeshore is suitable for the coral grass, and some coral grass colonies are around the lake. Cape Kimuaneppu (キムアネップ崎), Wakka Primeval Flower Garden (ワッカ原生花園), Kerochi Coral Grass Colony (計呂地サンゴ草群生地) and Cape Sango (サンゴ岬) are famous in particular. The best time to see the fall foliage is from mid september to early October.

The coral grass is an annual plant with 10 cm-20 cm in height, and means "Akkeshisou (アッケシソウ)". Mr. Kiyotoshi Sugiyama (椙山清利) discovered the plant in Kaki island, Akkeshi town in 1891, and Mr. Kingo Miyabe (宮部金吾), a famous botanist, named it after the place name. Another name is Sangosou (サンゴ草), and it is more famous than the Akkeshisou, and the Sango means "Coral" in English, and it is called so because shapes of leaves looks like the coral. In Japan, it is a rare plant growing wild only in a part of Hokkaido, Okayama prefecture and Kagawa prefecture, and in some lakes such as the Lake Saroma (サロマ湖), Lake Notoro (能取湖) and Lake Komuke (コムケ湖), Hokkaido, the coral grass can be seen. Because it is very rare plant, to harvest it is forbidden in Japan, but Europe people seem to eat it as vegetables. It is usually green, but it turns red in an autumn. By the way, the coral grass in the Hokkaido is difference from the coral grass in the Inland Sea.