also: うべ
noun
Japanese staunton-vine; Stauntonia hexaphylla
A climbing evergreen plant native to Japan, bearing edible purple fruit. The name is usually written in kana.
ムベの実は秋に紫色に熟す。
The fruit of the Japanese staunton-vine ripens to purple in autumn.
庭にムベを植えて、日陰を作っている。
I planted a Japanese staunton-vine in the garden to create shade.
Kanji form with gikun reading; rarely used in practice.
Alternate gikun reading for the same kanji form; even less common.
Alternate kanji form; very rare and likely only encountered in specialized contexts.
The origin of the Japanese name むべ is uncertain. The kanji 郁子 and 野木瓜 are gikun (meaning-based) readings applied to this plant.