Yangtze Evening News, November 15 (Reporter Xu Sheng) Autumn and winter are coming, the winter season has passed, and most plants have entered the dormant period. But there is such a flower in Nanjing Green Expo Park, blooming proudly in the cold, it is wood hibiscus.
Hibiscus
Among the many autumn flowers, a multi-colored hibiscus tree is particularly peculiar, or red or pink hibiscus flowers dotted on the emerald green trees, in this autumn and winter can produce a little spring, can not help but make people stop to admire, feel joy.
According to reports, hibiscus is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the mallow family, native to southwest China. Its flowers are white or pink or red, like hibiscus out of the water, bright like the petals of the lotus, so it is called "hibiscus flower", and because it is born on land, it is a woody plant, so it is also known as "wood hibiscus". Since ancient times, the mainland has mostly planted hibiscus in gardens, especially suitable for planting at the water's edge, sparkling flowers and shadows when flowering, very enchanting, "hibiscus should be planted on the shore of the pond, near the water is better", so it is also known as "illuminating the water hibiscus".
Hibiscus not only has a delicate flower shape, but also comes with a "color system". The flowers are white or light red when open in the morning and dark red from noon to open. Hence the name "Three Drunken Hibiscus" and "Color Hibiscus". Some petals are half silvery-white and half pink or purple, also known as "mandarin duck hibiscus".
The flowers are white in the morning
The reason for the "three colors a day" is that hibiscus petals contain anthocyanins, and the concentration and pH of anthocyanins change with temperature, and the color of the flowers will also change.
Dark red in the afternoon
In addition to its individual appearance, hibiscus wood plays a significant role in the ecological protection of soil erosion, because it has an intricate root system and lateral roots that can extend to the inside of the soil, so that the area of contact between the root system and the soil continues to increase, and the fixation strength of the root system and the soil is also greatly increased, thus contributing to the enhancement of slope stability. In addition, the twigs, leaves, petioles and calyx of hibiscus are densely covered with star-like hairs and short pubescent hairs, which can effectively absorb solid particles floating in the atmosphere. It is not only an excellent garden ornamental tree species, but also an ideal tree species for the greening and purification of the surrounding environment of the factory.
Proofreading by Tao Shangong