クス
クス

クス

  • Camphor Laurel
  • クスノキ科ニッケイ属
  • 日本

古事記に登場する軍船の木

木肌は緻密で、耐湿・耐久性に優れる。大木になり非常に綺麗な杢目をしているため、仏像彫刻に多用される他、壮大な木目から寺社建築に好んで使われ、欄間や彫刻に使われる。防虫剤として薬効のある樟脳が採れるため、古くから葉は防虫剤、鎮痛剤として用いられ、作業の際に楠を携帯していたという記録もある。虫害や腐敗に強いため、古来から船の材料として重宝された。

Troops of war ship appearing in Kojiki

The wood is dense, and it has excellent moisture resistance and durability. As it becomes a big tree and has very beautiful eyed eyes, it is frequently used for Buddha statue sculpture, and it is used favorably for temples and shrines from magnificent wood grain, and it is used for interior spaces and sculpture. Since it can produce medicinal camphor as an insect repellent, leaves have been used as insecticides and analgesics for a long time, and there are records that they were carrying Kusunoki during work. Since it is resistant to insect damage and rot, it has been useful as a material of a ship since ancient times.