AMORPHOPHALLUS KONJAC 'MIYAMA MASARI'

ORIGIN:

Gunma Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, from a cross of Gunkei No. 55 (itself Chinese type x Bicchu type) as the female parent and the native type as the male parent; registered in 2005 as Konnyaku Norin No. 4

CULTIVAR DESCRIPTION:

A Japanese konjac variety that sprouts slowly and is late to emerge and open its leaves, maturing in mid-October, with few secondary leaves in first-year plants.¹ It yields about as much as 'Akagi Ohdama' and has round offsets that are easy to handle; it is the newest of the Gunma varieties and the most widely grown.²

NOTES:

1. Japanese name: みやままさり (Miyama masari); official designation Konnyaku Norin No. 4 (こんにゃく農林4号); Gunkei No. 55 is 群系55号 and the Bicchu type is 備中種.²

STORY:

STORY TITLE: Better than the other three

The newest Gunma variety, registered in 2005, was named 'Miyama Masari' because it proved better than the three varieties before it, with easier handling thanks to its round offsets.²

REFERENCES:

1. Showa Village, Gunma: こんにゃく芋の種類

2. Gunma Konnyaku Association: こんにゃく芋について

Photo by the Gunma Konnyaku Association site