Recently, "Listen to Wujing with You" and the "Xiaoqingshan" ecological civilization practice youth team of the School of Ecology and Environment of East China Normal University brought online popular science tweets to explore the stories and mysteries behind it while feeling the charm of nature.
The spring breeze is blowing, and there are thousands of purples and reds. Lilac with its elegant fragrance and elegant posture, for the spring earth to add a touch of freshness and tranquility, Bauhinia with its gorgeous flower color and tenacious character, showing the vitality and tenacity of life, and the weeping silk begonia with its hanging inflorescence and rich cultural connotation, for people's life to bring a touch of romance and poetry.
紫丁香 Syringa oblata
Small and delicate, fragrant
Lilac, also known as North China lilac, is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the genus Lilac in the family Lilacaceae, which attracts attention for its unique form and fragrant aroma. It has an elegant stature, usually up to 2 to 3 meters tall, with grayish-brown or grayish-brown bark with pronounced cracks, revealing a quaint and natural aesthetic. The leaves of lilacs are opposite, oval or kidney-shaped, with smooth or slightly serrated edges, and bright green leaves, adding a bit of life to the whole plant.
Photographed on the large lawn © behind the ecological island of Minhang Campus of East China Normal University Xia Yijia
Extension of knowledge
Lilac is native to the central and northern regions of the continent, but is now widely distributed in temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America due to its adaptability. Whether it is in a park, a courtyard, or in the mountains and forests, you can see the purple shadow of the lilac, adding a different color to the earth.
In terms of use, in addition to its aroma can be used to make perfumes and essences, its flowers and leaves also have certain applications in traditional medicine. Some herbal studies have shown that lilac has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitussive effects, so it is often used in some folk remedies to treat minor respiratory ailments. In addition, the wood of lilac is strong and durable, and it is also often used to make furniture and crafts.
From a historical point of view, lilacs have a long history of cultivation in the mainland. Since ancient times, lilacs have been loved by people for their unique aroma and beautiful flowers. In poetry, lilacs are often used as a symbol of love, longing, and beauty. With the changes of the times, the cultural connotation of lilac is constantly enriching and developing, becoming an indispensable part of Chinese culture.
Photographed on the large lawn © behind the ecological island of Minhang Campus of East China Normal University Xia Yijia
紫荆 Cercis chinensis
Gorgeous and full of spring
Bauhinia, also known as Mantieda, belongs to the genus Bauhinia in the legume family and is a deciduous tree or shrub. With its unique form and brilliant colors, it is unique in the plant kingdom. The bauhinia tree has a straight trunk, an umbrella-shaped crown, and a smooth, grayish-brown bark that gives it a sense of stability and elegance. The leaves of the bauhinia are papery in shape, nearly round or broad-heart-shaped, and the leaf surface is shiny, and the edges are sometimes wavy or shallowly lobed, showing a fresh and natural style.
Taken next to © the Experimental Building A of the Minhang Campus of East China Normal University, Xia Yijia
Extension of knowledge
Bauhinia has not only become a bright star of landscaping with its brilliant colors and elegant forms, but also a precious treasure in traditional Chinese medicine. At the same time, Bauhinia is also deeply rooted in the courtyards of ordinary people's homes, and has become a symbol of family harmony and beauty, and deep affection.
Lu Ji, a literati of the Jin Dynasty, once praised Bauhinia with a poem: "Three wattles are happy on the same plant, and four birds are sad in the forest." This poem depicts the joyful gathering of the three Bauhinia trees connected by the same root, in stark contrast to the sad separation of the four birds scattered in different woods, and expresses people's deep hope for family harmony and brotherhood. Over time, Bauhinia gradually evolved into a story of brothers separated and reunited, and became an inseparable part of Chinese culture.
In the courtyard, Bauhinia, with its unique beauty and meaning, brings warmth and harmony to the family. When spring comes, redbud flowers bloom in clusters, dazzling, adding infinite vitality and vitality to the family. People appreciate the beauty of Bauhinia, but also taste the family emotions and cultural connotations it carries.
Taken next to © the Experimental Building A of the Minhang Campus of East China Normal University, Xia Yijia
垂丝海棠 Malus halliana
The flowers are hanging and the silk shadow dances in the spring breeze
Begonia, a small deciduous tree of the genus Apple of the Rosaceae family, is deeply loved by people for its unique form and flower color. Its canopy is sparse, the branches are spread, and the twigs are thin and slightly curved. The leaves are ovate or elliptic, serrated or nearly entire, shiny on the surface, and appear thick in texture. Its peduncle is slender and drooping, with sparse pubescence and purple, giving it a graceful feeling. The flower color of the weeping silk begonia is extremely gorgeous, the petals are obovate, the base has short claws, usually pink, sometimes up to more than 5 numbers, when it is in full bloom, the filaments are curling, hanging downward, it looks bright and moving, and it is very good.
Xia Yijia, next to the library of © Minhang Campus of East China Normal University
Extension of knowledge
Begonia, whose origin can be traced back to the southwest of the mainland, has grown and multiplied on the land of China since ancient times. It is widely distributed, from temperate to subtropical regions, you can see its shadow, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it is the happy land of its growth. Whenever spring comes, whether it is in the mountains, courtyards or parks, the begonias are embellished with the colors of the earth with their elegant posture and gorgeous flowers.
The weeping silk begonia also has the name of "intestinal flower" and "homesick grass", symbolizing the homesickness of the wanderer and expressing the meaning of parting sorrow. When many wanderers leave their hometown, they will break a branch and carry it with them to express their homesickness. "Who is the master of the spring after the begonia blooms, and urges the flowers and rain every day. Poor new green all over the world, no one can return. This poem by the Song Dynasty poet Li Mixun is like a vivid picture, with the blooming of the weeping begonia and the flowering of the spring rain as the background, affectionately expressing the sorrow and longing for the old people.
When the begonias are in full bloom, the spring color in the garden adds homesickness. Whenever the spring breeze blows, the begonia will quietly bloom in the mountains, courtyards and parks, its beauty and fragrance, just like the wanderer's deep attachment to his hometown, through thousands of mountains and rivers, warm every wandering heart. And the names of "intestinal flowers" and "homesick grass" are even more entrusting people's endless thoughts and expectations for their hometown. In this flowery spring, I hope that every wanderer, no matter where he is, can have that weeping begonia in his heart, so that the longing and attachment to his hometown, like the fragrance of begonias, will always linger in his heart.
Xia Yijia, next to the library of © Minhang Campus of East China Normal University
Source: Minhang Today