Patent ID: 7534371

Claim:
A liquid crystalline composition comprising: a liquid crystalline composition R which exhibits a liquid crystal phase having a positive birefringence; and a liquid crystalline composition D which exhibits a liquid crystal phase having a negative birefringence, wherein the liquid crystalline composition R comprises a compound having a rectangular plate-like shape, the compound having the rectangular plate-like shape is a liquid crystalline compound represented by the formula (R-I): wherein L A represents -≡- or -≡-≡-; X 1A and X 2A each independently represent a halogen atom, a carboxyl group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, an alkyl group or an alkyloxy group; n 1 and n 2 each independently represent an integer of from 0 to 3; and R 1A , R 2A , R 3A and R 4A are each independently represented by the following formula (R-IA): *-(L 1A -divalent cyclic group) p -L 2A -divalent chain group-Q 1A formula (R-IA) wherein * denotes a position to be bonded to the benzene ring in the formula (R-I); L 1A and L 2A each independently represents a single bond or a divalent linking group; the divalent cyclic group is a divalent linking group having at least one type of cyclic structure; the divalent chain group is an alkylene group, a substituted alkylene group, an alkenylene group, a substituted alkenylene group, an alkynylene group or a substituted alkynylene group, wherein the —CH 2 — group in the alkylene group and the substituted alkylene group may be substituted with one of —O— or —S—, and when the alkenylene group, the substituted alkenylene group, the alkynylene group or the substituted alkynylene group contains —CH 2 — group, the —CH 2 — group may be substituted with one of —O— or —S— ; Q 1A represents an ethylenic unsaturated group or a ring-opening polymerizable group; and p represents an integer of from 0 to 3.