John Grishamの小説 "Camino Winds" を読んでいます。
Bruce felt weak in the knees but gamely stepped forward for a closer look. Nelson's head was hanging off the side of the brick wall. There was a bloody gash above his left ear. Below the body was a limb from one of several Japanese crepe myrtles. Other limbs and leaves littered the scene.
"Japanese crepe myrtles" の "crepe myrtles" はサルスベルを示しているのは知っていますが、何故Japaneseが付いているのか気になりました。これは英英辞書ではなく百科辞典もしくは植物関係のサイトで調べるしかないとまずWikipedia見ると、次の説明が
"crepe myrtles"（ "crape myrtles"とも綴られる）の項にありました。
The common crape myrtle (L. indica) from China and Korea was introduced c. 1790 to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States, by French botanist André Michaux.
（中略）
While not as widely known, the Japanese crape myrtle, L. fauriei, from central and southern Japan, is becoming increasingly important, both as a landscaping plant and as a parent in complex hybrids with L. indica. This species is distinctly tree-like, with colorful, deciduous bark and dark green leaves, which are more resistant to fungal diseases than are those of its more popular relative. The Japanese name for this tree is saru suberi (猿滑、百日紅; literally "monkey slip", latter spelling ateji), which refers to the smooth, slippery bark. Flowers are as large as those of L. indica, but are white with only the slightest pink flush appearing in some individuals.
とありました。John Grishamはこの日本からのサルスベリを指している様ですが、死体の傷の状態がサルスベリの縮緬状（crepe）を連想したのでしょうか？ ちょっと想像できません。
Bruce felt weak in the knees but gamely stepped forward for a closer look. Nelson's head was hanging off the side of the brick wall. There was a bloody gash above his left ear. Below the body was a limb from one of several Japanese crepe myrtles. Other limbs and leaves littered the scene.
"Japanese crepe myrtles" の "crepe myrtles" はサルスベルを示しているのは知っていますが、何故Japaneseが付いているのか気になりました。これは英英辞書ではなく百科辞典もしくは植物関係のサイトで調べるしかないとまずWikipedia見ると、次の説明が
"crepe myrtles"（ "crape myrtles"とも綴られる）の項にありました。
The common crape myrtle (L. indica) from China and Korea was introduced c. 1790 to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States, by French botanist André Michaux.
（中略）
While not as widely known, the Japanese crape myrtle, L. fauriei, from central and southern Japan, is becoming increasingly important, both as a landscaping plant and as a parent in complex hybrids with L. indica. This species is distinctly tree-like, with colorful, deciduous bark and dark green leaves, which are more resistant to fungal diseases than are those of its more popular relative. The Japanese name for this tree is saru suberi (猿滑、百日紅; literally "monkey slip", latter spelling ateji), which refers to the smooth, slippery bark. Flowers are as large as those of L. indica, but are white with only the slightest pink flush appearing in some individuals.
とありました。John Grishamはこの日本からのサルスベリを指している様ですが、死体の傷の状態がサルスベリの縮緬状（crepe）を連想したのでしょうか？ ちょっと想像できません。
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