In spring, I remembered together with the afterlight,
Gangnam in March,
Jiangnan, where his hometown is located,
The sparkling next to Sakurasu,
The crowds and lights of Jiming Temple,
In the distance, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at this time.
Above: Jimeiji Temple in the midst of cherry blossoms
(Unless otherwise noted, Yu was taken by the author)
This year's epidemic is finally, over, bundled, and closed!
The crowd of people in Jiming Temple can also represent Guotai Minan. Nanjing Forestry University has also generously opened its campus to all sectors of society to enjoy cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossoms that were photographed in Nanbayashi many years ago
Cherry blossoms must be seen in spring, and this spring will be complete. There are many varieties of cherry blossoms, and there are more than 300 species currently cultivated, and the classification of cherry blossom varieties is mainly practical, generally based on the flowering period of the most representative Somei Yoshino, and each cherry blossom variety is divided into four categories according to the flowering period: early spring, sunny spring, late spring, and autumn and winter. (For details, please refer to the first article in this series: click [Early Spring Cherry Blossom Recognition Guide])
This article mainly introduces you to the most common Yangchun cherry varieties, male compatriots who want to take their girlfriends to see cherry blossoms must also see them, and female compatriots who want not to be fooled by their boyfriends must also see them.
Yangchun cherry blossoms refer to the cherry blossoms that bloom in the spring in March, and it is also the most familiar cherry blossom variety in the middle of spring, they are the queen of aura that blooms in the spring sun, in order to facilitate everyone's memory, we call the common four Yangchun cherry varieties: Somei Yoshino, Oshima Sakura, Edo and Sunshine Sakura collectively called "Yoharu Four Beauty".
1. Yoshino Somei Cerasus ×yedoensis
Somei Yoshino is undoubtedly the C queen of cherry blossoms, all adjectives to describe the beauty of spring can be used on her body, compared with other flowers and trees, Somei Yoshino's advantages are not only reflected in a single flower, but more in the overall momentum, Somei Yoshino tree is tall, dense flowers, first bloom and then grow leaves, the flowers are pure and warm, spectacular. It is also the most familiar and representative of the cherry blossom species, although common, but not tired of seeing.
In terms of morphological characteristics, Somei Yoshino's flowers are single-petaled, each flower mostly has 5 petals, and each petal has a small lobed in the middle, which is described in botanical terms as the lack of petals at the end, which is also a common feature of all single-petal cherry blossom species.
Above: Somei Yoshino's flowers are single-petaled, with each flower mostly 5 petals
The outer pink of the petals of Somei Yoshino is still more obvious when the bud is full, but when it is fully opened, the pink will fade and the main body of the petal will turn white, but at this time, the effect of a large flower from a distance is pink, and as the flower blooms from bloom to the first fall, it will become more and more girly pink from a distance, because although the main body of the petal turns white, the filament and the base of the petal will gradually turn bright crimson, and from a distance, it will become lighter pink when rendered together with the white of the petals. Therefore, some articles say that Somei Yoshino blossoms first powder and then white, and some articles say that white first and then powder, here are two more sentences to explain a little.
Above: Somei Yoshino's flowers appear white up close and red from afar
Somei Yoshino's flowers have slender peduncles, usually 3 to 4 flowers become a bunch of flowers, botany-called such a bunch of flowers as an inflorescence, Somei Yoshino's inflorescences are basically umbrella-shaped inflorescences, simply put, the peduncles of each single flower are almost long, and the base is born together, and the total peduncle (the part below each single flower) is very short, which is also a characteristic of Somei Yoshino.
Above: Somei Yoshino's flowers have slender peduncles, and generally 3 to 4 flowers become a bouquet
In addition to peduncles and petals, there are two important places to distinguish cherry blossom varieties, one is the calyx tube or flower holder, and the other is the sepal or sepal lobe. At the top of the peduncle of most varieties of cherry blossoms, the place where the flowers are covered expands to form a hollow tube, called a "calyx tube", on which sepals, petals, and stamens are added.
There are stable and obvious differences in sepal and sepal traits between different cherry blossom species. We look at the photo, and Somei Yoshino's sepal tube is characterized by a tubular shape, basically the same thickness above and below, purple-red,; Sepals are characterized by a narrow triangular triangle with curved edges (described in botanical terminology as "long ovate triangles") with finely serrated edges.
Above: Somei Yoshino's flower stalks and sepals are densely hairy
(Botanically it is called flowers first and leaves later, and the opposite flowering habit is called flower-leaf synchronization, such as various late cherry blossoms). The habit of putting flowers before leaves generally makes the flowers appear more eye-catching and pure, which is an important reason for Somei Yoshino's popularity. Well, because it is the first and most representative cherry blossom variety introduced, let's talk about it in detail.
Above: Somei Yoshino does not see green leaves when it blooms
Above: Somei Yoshino's bark is relatively smooth with transverse bark holes
As for the difference between Somei Yoshino and other cherry blossom varieties, it is easier to distinguish it from the Oshima cherry blossoms mentioned below. As long as you are interested in comparison, it is not very difficult, at least it is much easier than distinguishing Korean plastic surgery female stars.
The name of this beautiful and common flower in Flora of China is "Tokyo cherry blossom", mainly from the translation of its Latin name C.×yedoensis, and the root word "yedo" refers to Tokyo's old name "Edo". The name "somei-yoshino" has another origin, since the Heian period in Japan, the cherry blossoms on Mount Yoshinoyama in southern Nara Prefecture are particularly famous, even known as the first in Japan, and when spring comes, pink cherry blossoms bloom in the mountains.
In the late Edo period (1603~1867 AD), flower farmers in Somei Village (located in present-day Toshima-ku, Tokyo) next to Edo Castle were surprised to find a fast-growing plant with particularly lush and beautiful flowers among the cherry blossoms growing in their nursery one day. Although this cherry blossom has many and large flowers, it does not bear fruit naturally, and this is likely to be caused by sterility caused by natural hybrids, so flower farmers use nutrient propagation methods such as pruning cuttings to multiply, and in order to increase its attractiveness, it is declared to be an excellent variety from Mt. Yoshino. Soon this new variety spread throughout Japan.
In 1900, Japanese botanist Yoaki Fujino investigated this cherry blossom and found that it was not the same variety as the cherry blossom of Mt. Yoshino (modern botanical identification, the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino are mostly Japanese mountain cherry blossoms C. jamasakura), so according to its place of origin, it was officially named "Somei Yoshino".
Above: Somei Yoshino Sakura Birthday Commemorative Plaque Image from a Japanese website
So what kind of cherry blossoms are Somei Yoshino's parents? A hundred years ago, the original flower farmers did not know why, in recent years, after having genetic sequencing methods, it is basically clear that Somei Yoshino is a descendant of the hybrid of Oshima Sakura and Edo Sakura and continues to cross with Oshima Sakura, so Somei Yoshino has more Oshima Sakura bloodline, and at the same time there is a very key Edo Sakura bloodline, which combines the magnificence of Oshima Sakura and the excellent characteristics of Edo Sakura first flowers and then leaves, and because it has always been "cloned" and bred through cuttings and grafting, Therefore, the uniform performance of Somei Yoshino's large-scale planting traits and the consistent blooming and falling of flowers are particularly moving, and an accident in nature created this outstanding and beautiful variety.
Above: Somei Yoshino at night
2. Sakura Oshima as Cerasus speciosa
Oshima cherry blossoms may be the most common cherry blossom varieties seen by ordinary people in addition to Somei Yoshino, but unfortunately many friends meet each other and do not know each other, because Oshima cherry and Somei Yoshino seedlings look more similar, the flowering period is basically coincided, in the less elegant nursery, often intentionally or unintentionally mixed with Oshima cherry saplings mixed in Somei Yoshino for sale and planting, which also causes many parks when Somei Yoshino blooms, often mixed with some Oshima cherry blossoms sideways. However, for those who like cherry blossoms, this is also a bonus.
Although Somei Yoshino is a descendant of a cross between Oshima Sakura and Edo Sakura on the other side, from the appearance, Oshima Sakura and Somei Yoshino are still very distinguishable. On the whole, if Somei Yoshino is a graceful pink girl with a slender body, then Oshima Sakura is a white and fresh little family jasper, a bit like the green calyx variety in plum blossoms in temperament.
Above: When the Oshima cherry blossoms, the branches have green young leaves and the flowers are white
Unlike Somei Yoshino's first flowers and then leaves, Oshima cherry blossoms have flowers and leaves in unison, that is, when Oshima cherry blossoms, tender green leaves have grown on the branches, which is a significant distinguishing point.
The petals of Oshima cherry blossoms are white and the color is cold, while the flowers of Somei Yoshino are white when they bloom, but although they are both white, if you look at the flowers of the two together, you will find a clear difference in tone.
The peduncles, sepals, sepals and other parts of Oshima cherry are clean and hairless, while Somei Yoshino these parts are covered with short hairs, which is also a clear difference, and the edges of Oshima cherry sepals are serrate, and the color of peduncles and sepals is greener.
Above: Oshima cherry blossoms are hairless in their peduncles, sepals, sepals, etc
Oshima Sakura also has a unique point, that is, the blossoms have a fragrance, at least described in many sources, in fact, only when you put your nose close to the flowers can smell, there is indeed a faint fragrance, personally feel a bit like a faint lotus flower fragrance. Oshima cherry blossoms are commonly available, the flowers are scented, and its young leaves contain coumarin glycosides and also have aroma, so many foods made with cherry blossoms, such as Japanese cherry cakes, often use the flowers and leaves of Oshima cherry blossoms as raw materials.
Above: Cherry blossom cake Image from the Internet
As for the fruit, Oshima Sakura is a native species, so it is not sterile like varieties such as Somei Yoshino and other hybrids, and the tree after the flower will bear small fruits that range from green to red and turn black when ripe, as for the taste, after tasting a few, when fully ripe, there is still a hint of sweetness in the sourness, is this the taste of the legendary first love? However, often before these small fruits are ripe, they are already preempted by birds such as big.
Above: The fruits of Oshima cherry blossoms can be seen on every tree
To sum up, the main points of Oshima Sakura are as follows:
First, the flowers and leaves are the same, and the flowering period is basically the same as that of Somei Yoshino;
Second, the flower color is white, and the flower has a slight fragrance;
Third, the peduncles, sepals, sepals and other parts are hairless;
Fourth, the flowers have pure green young leaves when blooming, and the serrations on the edges of the leaves have short glows;
Fifth, there are small red and black fruits.
The Latin scientific name of Oshima cherry blossom is written Cerasus speciosa in Japan, as a separate species, in Japan there are wild plants distributed in Tokyo south of the Izu Peninsula to the Izu Islands and other places, Oshima Sakura's "Oshima", that is, derived from the place name "Izu Oshima", the scientific name in the addition of speciosa, in Latin means "the beautiful" (the beautiful). Among the eleven cherry species distributed in Japan, Oshima cherry has strong stress resistance, moderate flowering period, good hybrid affinity, high fruiting rate, with Oshima cherry as a parent, natural and artificial hybridization of cherry blossom varieties may be the most, in addition to Somei Yoshino, Kawazu cherry blossom, Ohan cherry blossom, Sekiyama cherry blossom, etc. have the lineage of Oshima cherry blossom.
Above: Location map of Izu Oshima
In Chinese mainland's writings, Sakura Oshima's scientific name is often written as Cerasus serrulata var. Lannesiana 'speciosa', a complex string, is the treatment of Oshima cherry blossoms as a variety of mountain cherry blossoms.
Mountain cherry blossoms (Cerasus serrulata) are widely distributed in the mainland from northeast China to eastern and southern China, to Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and such a large area will always produce various variations due to different climate, altitude and other small environments, and there is no consensus on its classification and treatment. The view of botanists such as mainland Yu Dejun is to adopt the merger method, and the cherry blossoms with common characteristics such as white flowers, obvious two lobes at the first end of the petals, flowers and leaves are placed together, hairless calyx of the peduncle, and black when the fruit is ripe are merged into mountain cherry blossoms, and in the Flora of Japan, various mountain cherry blossoms with variable traits are divided into fine parts, and most of them are isolated as independent species, such as Oshima cherry blossoms are independent from mountain cherry blossoms and are a separate species. Whether these views are very accurate needs further in-depth study by the botanical and horticultural circles in China and Japan.
From the morphological point of view, the Oshima cherry and the mountain cherry distributed on the mainland are indeed very similar, basically have the same appearance, only some details are different, the main differences are the following:
First, on the serrations on the edge of the leaves, there is no mango on the mountain cherry blossom leaf serration, while the Oshima cherry blossom has mango, which is relatively stable;
Second, in the color of the young leaves, the Oshima cherry blossoms are mainly pure green, and the young leaves of mountain cherry blossoms are somewhat reddish-brown hues;
The third is at the edge of the sepals, mountain cherry blossoms are not serrate, while Oshima cherry blossoms sometimes have serrations, which requires more observation;
Fourth, in the fragrance of flowers, mountain cherry blossoms do not have, Oshima cherry blossoms have;
Fifth, on the trunk, the trunk of Oshima cherry is purple-black in color, and the dark brown horizontal skin holes are prominent, while mountain cherry blossoms do not have such characteristics;
Sixth, in terms of overall temperament, this is a more intuitive but not legally quantified feature, Oshima cherry blossom's petal arrangement is relatively regular, overlapping between petals, the front view of the five petals arranged close to the five-pointed star, the whole tree blooms more luxuriantly, white flowers than green leaves; The petals of mountain cherry blossoms are arranged more messy, there are often gaps between the petals, the whole tree blooms relatively sparsely, and there are more green leaves than white flowers. This may be the difference between a rich lady and a mountain girl caused by acquired selection.
Above: Oshima cherry blossoms have short glows on serrated leaf edges
Above: Oshima cherry blossoms
3. Cerasus spachian across Edo
The "other side of Edo" cherry blossoms are ancient and beautiful cherry blossoms. It comes from a long history, even much longer than the "Edo" period (1603~1867 AD), and has grown strong and long-lived, and to this day, most of the ancient cherry blossoms that still exist in Japan are Edo cherry blossoms.
The flowers on the other side of Edo are classic single-petal flowers with 5 rounded petals, and the flower color ranges from light red to pinkish white, and the vibrant light red is more common, and the petals unfold flatly after blooming. Its most typical appearance features are that the sepal tube is "pot-shaped" (that is, the lower half of the sepal tube is expanded into a spherical shape, the upper half is contracted), the sepal tube has hairs on the outside, the sepal is a common long oval, the adult bark has obvious longitudinal lobes, and the tree is tall.
It has a long lifespan, wide distribution, strong resistance, and is prone to weeping variation, and now several of the most common varieties of weeping cherry, such as "weeping early cherry blossom" and "red branch" are mutated from the other side of Edo.
Above: Sakura on the other side of Edo
Above: The cherry calyx tube on the other side of Edo is pot-shaped
The name "Edo" comes from the fact that it blooms around March 20, the Japanese calendar, known in China as the equinox day, which is almost the same length of day and night, and Buddhism holds the "other shore meeting".
The three oldest cherry blossoms in Japan are called the "three cherry blossoms", namely the Shinyo cherry blossoms in Yamanashi Prefecture, the Asumo cherry blossoms in Gifu Prefecture and the Miharutaki cherry blossoms in Fukushima Prefecture, all of which are national natural monuments designated by the Japanese government, of which the Shinyo cherry blossoms and the pale ink cherry blossoms are the varieties of the other side of Edo, and the Miharu Taki cherry blossoms are also a mutant variety of "weeping cherry blossoms" on the other side of Edo.
Above: Located in Neo Village, Gifu Prefecture, the "Palamo" cherry blossoms are more than 1,500 years old
Above: The "Yamataka Jindai" cherry blossoms are now in the shrine of Yamanashi Prefecture, and it is estimated that the age of the tree is 1800 years
Above: Miharutaki cherry blossoms are located in Miharu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, and are 1,000 years old, where plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and cherry blossoms bloom together every year, hence the name "Miharu"
In the view of modern botany, "Edo Front" is a species with great internal variation, and the other side cherry blossoms cultivated in horticulture in China are all introduced from Japan, but the other side of Edo is more similar to the "large-leaved early cherry" with wild distribution in the mainland, and is currently generally considered to be different varieties under the same species.
Above: Cherry blossoms in full bloom across Edo
4. Sunshine Sakura Cerasus "yoko"
When the cloud-like Somei cherry blossoms open, the sunshine cherry blossoms bloom at about the same time, and the flowering period is close to that of Somei Yoshino, the tree is tall, the flowers are dense, the flower color is beautiful and pure rose red, and the pink and white Somei Yoshino is planted together, and when it blooms together, it can be called a steaming cloud, and the snow is dancing, which is a superb scenery on earth.
The Latin name of sunshine cherry is Cerasus "yoko", which is directly expressed as a cultivated variety under the genus Cerasus, which is a cherry blossom variety bred through multiple interspecific hybrids, and there is no need to add a species name.
Sunshine cherry blossoms were bred by Japanese folk gardener Masaaki Takaoka by crossing Amagi Yoshino with Kankami cherry blossoms (Amagi Yoshino was crossed between Oshima Sakura and Edo Shore, and his parents were the opposite of Somei Yoshino).
Above: Sunshine cherry blossoms and Somei Yoshino bloom at the same time Image source: Japanese website
The main identifying features of Sunshine cherry blossoms are as follows:
One is the flower 5 petals, light reddish purple, the petals are broadly oval, the first end has a concave lobe, the most obvious feature is that the petal surface has obvious veins, the veins are dark in color.
Second, there are flowers with a peduncle more than 1 cm long, small peduncles pale green, reddish-purple upper part, dense hairs, sepals long bell-shaped, sepals long oval-lanceolate, flowers with reverse folding.
The third is yellow-green leaves instead of reddish-brown.
Sunshine cherry blossoms are a bit similar to "Yokohama scarlet cherry", the difference is that sunshine cherry blossoms have hairy stalks and calyxes, while Yokohama scarlet cherry blossoms have no hair.
The flowering period is mid-to-late March (middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River) and early to mid-April (Beijing, Shandong).
Sunshine cherry blossom is currently one of the few single-petal cherry blossoms that can adapt to the climate of the north and south of the country, the crimson flower color, the cold scarlet cherry from the subtropical region of the mainland brings it red and heat tolerance genes, and at the same time can be hardy, and the flowering period is basically synchronized with the most common planting Yoshino, growing strongly, adding a brilliant color to the cherry blossoms that open in the spring.
There is also a true story about the origin of Sunshine Sakura.
In 1940, it was the most frantic time for Japanese militarism to launch aggression abroad. At this time, Masaaki Takaoka was a teacher at a youth school and a loyal militarist, instilling in the students the concept that "Japan is a strong country and will never be defeated", and sent groups of students to the battlefield of aggression. As a result, as an unjust aggressor, Japan was defeated and surrendered.
After the war, when Masaaki Takaoka resigned from his youth school to make a living on a small farm, he received news that his students had died in the war of aggression, and he was grief-stricken, frustrated, and blamed himself for indoctrinating his students with militaristic ideas. He spent every day in tears and regrets, and one day, he visited the school where he used to teach, and saw the beautiful cherry blossoms blooming on the campus, and his mind conjured up the students who took pictures and laughed under the cherry blossom trees. At this time, Takaoka made up his mind: "We will create a peaceful world without war with our own hands." To do this, I will cultivate a variety of cherry blossoms that embody the youth of students and symbolize peace, and then promote the concept of cherry blossoms and peace around the world. ”
Masaaki Takaoka's beliefs are very persistent. In order to cultivate new cherry blossoms, he used all his assets and began a search tour around Japan. He brought many varieties from all over Japan back to his farm. From morning to night, he only thought about the cherry blossoms, and studied it again and again, and after failure, he studied it again. After more than 20 years, he finally obtained a variety that is highly resistant to disease and adaptable to harsh climates in the hybrid offspring of Hankami Sakura and Amagi Yoshino Sakura. It is an unprecedented variety with red flowers and strong growth, and Masaaki Takaoka named the new cherry blossom variety "Sunshine" with the meaning of "the sun that brings hope to the earth". Masaaki Takaoka died in September 2001 at the age of 92. In the end, he also donated about 50,000 sunshine cherry blossoms he left behind for free. Today, as a symbol of peace and hope, the Sunshine cherry blossoms are opening up all over Japan and around the world, and friendship groups in Japan have given 1,000 "sunshine" cherry blossom trees to Xi'an, China as a gift for friendly exchanges.
Above: Sunshine cherry blossom variety registration certificate and related books
Above: Sunny cherry blossom branches and flowers
In addition, the common cherry blossom varieties that bloom in the spring season are Shindai Shu, medallion cherry, snow fountain, red mountain cherry, etc., and the cherry blossom species native to the mainland "Huazhong cherry blossom" blooms in mid-to-late March, and Huazhong cherry blossoms are widely grown in the mountains and wilderness of Hubei, Jiangxi and other places, with beautiful flowers, but not much planted in urban parks, with great potential for utilization and breeding.
Above: Central China cherry blossoms in bloom in Gexian Mountain, Jiangxi Province Image from Gexian Mountain's website
The beauty of cherry blossoms is born of creation, transcending borders and disputes, it is simple beauty, pure beauty, passionate beauty, let beauty transcend everything.
Knowledge Links:
At present, the Japanese botanical community generally believes that there are 9 species of wild cherry plants in Japan, such as mountain cherry, Kasumi cherry blossom, and Oshima cherry, plus the early introduction of Chinese cherry and cold scarlet cherry, there are a total of 11 cherry species in Japan. In recent years, it has been reported that a new species of cherry blossom native to Japan, Kumano cherry, has been found in the mountains, but it has not yet been recognized. The specific list of native species of the genus Sakura is listed in the table below.
"Picture of Chinese Cherry Blossom Varieties", edited by Wang Xianrong
"Sakura Application Guide", edited by Yan Chunfeng
Research on Classification of Cherry Blossom Varieties and Application in Gardens, by Yuting Chen
"Revision of the taxonomy of cherry blossoms", by Wang Xianrong et al
"Taxonomic Study of Mainland Native Cherry Plant Resources", Yan Chunfeng et al
"Evaluation of Ornamental Traits of Cherry Varieties and Research on the Suitable Habitats of Zhejiang Wild Species in China", by Chen Lina
"Survey of Cherry Blossom Variety Resources and Research on Garden Application", by Zhang Jie
"The handbook of flowering cherries in Japan" by Takaaki Ohara