Text丨Heart beads are long, typesetting丨Heart beads are long
The raindrops ticked for half a night, and I thought that the begonias would be "green, fat, red and thin", but when I saw those Xifu begonias on the road in the shadowless mountains, the pink and white flowers, layer upon layer, still accounted for half of the tree.
It seems that although it is a "noble concubine in flowers" with a bright fragrance and color, it is not squeamish.
It just so happens that a friend wants to ask to write about Xifu Begonia, so today, take advantage of its blooming period to talk to you about Xifu Begonia.
01
Xifu Begonia, also known as Begonia microcarpus, Haihong, is a small deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family, and the apple is a family. The branches are erect, 2.5-5 meters high, the leaves are oblong, the edges are serrate, and it is a native plant of the mainland.
In ancient times, begonia plants were collectively called "柰", "tang", "forest capture", etc., and the name begonia appeared around the Tang Dynasty.
In the plant monograph "Qunfang Spectrum" of Wang Xiangjin in the Ming Dynasty, begonias are divided into four types: sticky begonias, weeping silk begonias, papaya begonias, and Xifu begonias. That is, "Begonia Four Products".
Xifu Begonia is one of the "Four Products of Begonia", and it is also the top grade of Begonia.
Wang Jingmei has many varieties of begonias, such as vertical silk, Xifu, tang pear, papaya, and sticker. In the middle, Xifu is the best, and the name of Xifu is particularly good, with its color and many petals.
——Ming Dynasty Wang Xiangjin "Qunfang Spectrum"
When I first heard this name, most of them were curious, why is it called Xifu?
The other three kinds of begonias are based on the characteristics of the plant, and what is it based on?
Originally, the Xifu here is the name of the place, and during the Jin Dynasty, the begonia flowers in the Xifu were more famous. Moreover, the begonia fruit here is smaller than other begonia fruits, so it is also called small fruit begonia.
The Xifu of the Jin Dynasty is in today's Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. To this day, Xifu Begonia is the city flower of Baoji.
02
Xifu begonia, the branches are more erect, this feature is a bit similar to the apple tree and hairy papaya.
The flowers mostly grow at the tips of the twigs, umbel-shaped racemes, each with 4-7 flowers. The peduncle is slender, about 2-3 cm, green or purplish-red.
Its peduncle is also relatively erect, which is very different from the weeping silk begonia.
When the flowers are not open, the buds are red, like rouge, and the dots sway on the branches.
When the flowers bloom, the petals become lighter in color and turn pink or reddish, and the delicate pink is translucent and white, giving off a nice sweet fragrance.
Its petals are round or oblong, with single petals and double petals, the single petals are generally 5 petals, and the double petals are more, and some can have 10 petals.
The color of the flower is a bit similar to that of papaya and begonia, but when it opens, the opening angle is large, and the diameter of the flower is also large, almost 4-5 cm.
Its filaments are shorter than the petals, the calyx lobes 5, and the calyx and peduncle have white hairs that look shaggy.
03
The fruit of Xifu Begonia is not large, 2-3 cm in diameter, and the shape is the same as that of a small apple. It is green at the beginning and turns pale yellow when ripe, and the flesh is white.
This fruit, which is said to have a sweet and sour taste, can be eaten fresh or processed into juice, preserved fruit, jam, fruit dan peel, fruit wine, etc.
I really haven't tasted fresh fruit.
Xifu begonias are quite productive, and the Xifu begonias in the green belt are fruitful, but they always have scruples and dare not eat.
▲ Xifu Begonia Fruit source network
In fact, the fruit, in addition to eating, can also be used in medicine, called sea red, sour, sweet, flat, diarrhea and dysentery.
Regarding its medicinal use, I checked it, and the source is the nutritional monograph "Drinking Diet" by Hu Sihui, the imperial physician of the Yuan Dynasty.
Sea Red
The taste is sour, sweet, flat and non-toxic. Treatment of diarrhea.
- "Drinking and Eating is Coming, Volume 3, Fruits"
The description inside is very simple, and the later note says that Haihong is Xifu Begonia.
In life, Xifu begonia is cultivated as an ornamental plant, and its fruits, in most cases, fall off naturally after ripening.
Well, the above is a little bit of my understanding of Xifu Begonia, Jinan's Xifu Begonia are blooming, it is in full bloom, take advantage of the time, or take a look at the flowers.
Remark:
1. Some of the pictures are from the Internet, invaded and deleted!
2. This article does not constitute medication advice, please follow the doctor's advice!
About the Author
Heart-Beads: Intermediate Agronomist, Plant Lover. Welcome to "Wandering Grass and Trees" to share plant knowledge and experience the beauty of the countryside. The heart of grass and trees, the taste of the countryside, savoring, wandering!