also: さるおがせ
old man's beard; Usnea lichen
Refers to any lichen of the genus Usnea, commonly called old man's beard. The reading さるおがせ is standard; katakana サルオガセ is frequent in scientific contexts.
See also: サルオガセ
Usnea is a lichen often found in humid forests.
pine tree vines; deep entanglement
Only with reading しょうら
Archaic figurative use, restricted to the reading しょうら. Describes vines on pine trees or, metaphorically, a deeply entangled situation.
In old poems, 松蘿 is read as しょうら and refers to vines entwining pine trees.
Standard kanji spelling for the lichen Usnea, read with the jukujikun reading さるおがせ.
Archaic on-reading used for the figurative sense of pine tree vines or deep entanglement.
Katakana spelling commonly used in biological contexts; cross-referenced.
The kanji 松 (pine) and 蘿 (moss/lichen) combine to describe a lichen that grows on pine trees. The reading さるおがせ is a jukujikun, while しょうら is the on-reading. The exact origin of さるおがせ is uncertain.