also: ばらん
cast iron plant; Aspidistra elatior
A hardy evergreen perennial native to Japan and Taiwan, often used as a houseplant or in landscaping.
The cast iron plant is a foliage plant that grows well even in the shade.
baran; green plastic garnish
A decorative plastic divider or leaf-shaped sheet used in bento boxes and sushi trays, originally made from real cast iron plant leaves.
I use a baran to separate the items in my bento.
Katakana spelling is common for both the plant and the garnish; usually written in kana.
Common katakana spelling for the plastic garnish, reflecting the voiced reading ばらん.
Kanji spelling is rare; the plant is almost always written in kana.
The plant name ハラン is of uncertain origin. The garnish sense derives from the traditional use of the plant's leaves as a natural divider in food presentation, later replaced by plastic imitations.