More than a hundred years ago, an Englishman came to China many times to lead the team through many little-known secret places in western China. In Sichuan, he went deep into Gongga Mountain, Barang Mountain, Minjiang River Valley, Huanglong and other places many times, investigated wild plant resources and collected specimens and seeds, and introduced hundreds of wild flowers such as Full-margined Leafy Velvet Artemisia, Sea Nymph Primrose, Minjiang Lily, Yellow Flower Orchid and other wild flowers collected here to Western countries, known as the person who "opened the door of the garden in western China".
He was Ernest Henry Wilson. As a famous "plant hunter", this name is no stranger to flower watchers who love plants, because they are always mentioned from time to time when viewing flowers in western China.
In Wilson's "China - The Mother of Gardens", which records his experience in China, there is a description of the full-edged artemisia chlorophyll, which aroused my great interest.
Wilson's book "China - The Mother of the Garden" about the balang Mountain Xu Ying remake
"The plant species on the grassy ridges that stretch all the way to the Barang Pass have distinct alpine characteristics. The number of flowers is staggering. Most of the herbs that grow energetically are blooming yellow flowers, and this color has an absolute advantage. ”
"Above 11,500 feet above sea level, the gorgeous full-rimed artemisia leafy velvet, with its huge, spherical, inward-curved yellow flowers, blooms on the hillside and stretches for miles. Thousands of unparalleled green velvet flowers, 2-2.5 feet tall, towering over other herbs, present a grand scene. I am sure that I will never find a place so exaggerated and luxurious again. ”
When Wilson arrived here in June 1908, he was surprised that Barang Hill had so many plant species. From such passionate words, we can see that Wilson's excitement and shock are overflowing. Is this just a slightly poetic realism, or is it a shocking exaggeration? What kind of a spectacular scene Wilson saw back then? More than a hundred years later, following his footsteps, walking into this mountain field again, what will we find?
From downtown Chengdu, a three-hour drive takes you from the flat and rich Plain of Western Sichuan to the cascading mountains. The verdant and dense forests and steep cliffs remind us that this place is already in the Hengduan Mountains.
The forest in early June was verdant. On the side of the road, the big lily is 2 meters tall, covered with more than ten huge white flowers, and the tall figure shows proud beauty. On the thin Sichuan guard spear, the dark red flowers are like plum blossoms, elegant and delicate.
The road was only slightly undulating, about to turn steeply back, and began to twist upwards - Barang Mountain arrived.
Balang Mountain Yunhai This article is all photographed by Zou Tao except for labeling
Located between Wolong Nature Reserve and Siguniang Mountain, Barang Mountain is the core area of the World Natural Heritage Site of the Giant Panda Habitat. Together with many surrounding peaks above 4,500 meters above sea level, it forms the watershed of the Min, Dadu and Tsing Yi rivers.
From the Chengdu Plain at an altitude of 500 meters, it rises steeply to such a high altitude, and the warm and humid air flow from the east rises in this way, and the temperature drops, forming a sea of clouds and abundant precipitation, creating a wild forest and babbling streams.
In the middle of the valley, it is a blessed place for all kinds of orchids. Tall, tall, dense spruce forests, thick humus on the ground, moist air and sunlight from the gaps make up an environment suitable for orchid growth.
Walking into the valley, the dark forest is full of huge leaves of spider hair crab beetle grass and ghost lanterns, mountain orchids protrude between the leaves, under the golden bracts are white lip flaps with purple spots, dozens of flowers are dotted together on the upright leaf, a slender green corrugated paper-like leaf spread on the ground, not tall but particularly fresh.
Euphorbia shrimp ridge orchid (left) and large flowers on the leaf orchid
If you don't slow down and look carefully with your body down, the big flower is likely to be ignored. Also grown in humus under the forest, the two leaves are spread out oppositely, and on them are five or six pale green lip flaps shaped like shields, as thin as cicada wings, showing a translucent texture.
One, two, seven or eight, carefully observed, they appeared in the grass, and there were quite a few.
Further on, a long orchid enters the field of vision, the leaf is pulled out of the leaf bush, far above the leaf, nearly 40 cm high, the total inflorescence blooms a dozen flowers of all sizes, and the white lip flap is particularly delicate under the longitudinal sepals. Euphorbia shrimp ridge orchid, perhaps because of this unique lip flap shape so named.
The same is the shrimp ridge orchid, but the three-sided shrimp ridge orchid is much more spectacular. They rarely have a single plant, but mostly dozens or hundreds of plants growing together. Their strange name comes from the three cockscomb-like folds on the lip plate, and the pale yellow sepals and reddish-brown lip flaps form a chic combination.
In the open woodland clearings, the huge Tibetan orchid is blooming. They are several plants together, about 25 cm high, the flowers are purple-brown, the lips are covered with stripes, and there is a circle of white around the sac.
Tibetan Lilan (left) and Maolian
Bulbophyllum and its growth environment
They are not only distributed in Tibet, but throughout the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and their type specimens are collected in western Sichuan.
Why does It specialize in a pocket-shaped petal? According to one study, the purple-brown purple-brown lips of the Tibetan orchid are sometimes almost black, and the color and shape resemble the holes or tree holes needed for the queen bumblebee to lay eggs, and the queen bee is often lured into it and lost in this "pocket".
On the way to find the exit, they will encounter the anthers and stigmas of the orchid, the body is rubbed with pollen, and then when they are deceived again, they inadvertently help the orchid to build a bridge and complete the pollination.
Other orchids are similar in that they are carefully dressed with "pockets" of various shapes, and they also lure different insects to pollinate them, including bees, moths and even very small fruit flies.
Similar in appearance to the Tibetan orchid is the Mao orchid. It is light in color, the flowers are lilac red or pink, and the ovary, peduncle and sepals are densely covered with soft hairs, hence the name.
Deep in the forest, thick mosses resemble soft carpets, and a large pair of green leaves grow in between, which is also a kind of orchid- the paraphyllum orchid.
Unlike the spoon-shaped lip flaps of other orchids, the flowers of the orchid are hanging downwards, the lip flaps are no more than the size of a finger, and there are a few strands of maroon markings in the white. In order not to let the rain enter freely, the opening of the "small spoon" tilts downwards, and several sepals on the lip flap stretch out in all directions, like an outstretched umbrella to block the flow of water, which can not but be said to be the ingenious survival wisdom created by evolution.
The concave tongue orchid with bifurcated lip flaps, the pointed-lipped bird's nest orchid with small brown flowers like dead grass, and the original swamp orchid covered with hundreds of small green flowers also live under the forest.
It seems difficult to realize that these small, unremarkable orchids are the charm of orchid diversity. They have evolved a unique reproductive strategy for pollinators, orchids have a specially evolved lip flap from the flower cover (the combination of sepals and petals), the lips are symmetrical on both sides, the shape is unique, varies from species to different species, and the flower color is more colorful.
To the leaf orchid
The environment of the leaf orchid
The overcast sky grew darker and darker, and a silky drizzle finally arrived. The whole forest was shrouded in the gentle sound of rain, and it became more and more quiet. The sound of water by the river is noisy, and the milky white water current stirs up a light water mist. On the boulders by the river, the white deer hoof grass hangs droplets of water, clumps and bushes, crystal clear.
The same white solitary flower, blooming with huge flowers, can be described as a relict independence.
Solitaire
As the winding mountain road continues to swirl, the altitude gets higher and higher, and the tall fir forest gradually turns into a cauliflower-like, hard-leaved alpine oak with thorns. Then there is the alpine shrubland of sparse willow bushes and snow-capped rhododendrons. Further up, there is a meadow covered with various flowers, until it is more than 4,000 meters above sea level, and the gray and dark of the flowing rock beach becomes the main color.
But this cold and rugged mountain peak is not a forbidden area of life, and the bloom of various plants is more brilliant and unique.
The first is primroses. On both sides of the road, the abandoned sand and gravel beaches after the road was built, and the wet rocky edges of the stream, a large number of bracts and teeth powder primrose occupy a large area of land, forming a small sea of purple flowers. The tall and upright indigo spikes are indigo with dozens of delicate purple flowers hanging upside down, like a cluster of cute bells hanging upside down. Large clumps of bells and primroses stand in the meadow, and the yellow flowers become mottled patches of color. The most unique is the purple one-flower primrose, each plant has a single flower, but the short flowers are very large.
One-flower primrose
In the chaotic and loose pile of rocks on the flowing rock beach, two furry jellyfish snow rabbits look inconspicuous. The environment in which the snow rabbit lives is undoubtedly extremely harsh, the flowing rock beach is located in the high cold, the sunshine is strong and the precipitation is small, and the soil is sparse and barren.
To survive in such an extreme environment, you must evolve a unique way of survival. Jellyfish snow rabbits are exactly that. In the first few years of life, they hid themselves in the environment with gray-white colors, accumulating energy as much as possible. In the year of flowering, the leaves suddenly turn bright pink, attracting all kinds of insects that can help pollinate, and the fluff is all over the body, as if wearing a thick cotton suit to resist the cold.
Over the years, because of their unwarranted medicinal effects, they have been excavated in large quantities, and it is not easy to see them in the wild.
Snow rabbit
In the same environment, the low wave dome purple viola is constantly blooming, presenting a magnificent bright blue with a jewel-like texture that is impressive.
In this harsh environment, Artemisia annua is a kind of extremely splendid existence, they have silky petals, flower colors from blue, purple, yellow, to pink or even bright red, is undoubtedly the most extreme symbol of the beauty of the Plants of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and therefore has a very high status in the hearts of flower viewers, and is even called "Green God".
In plant taxonomy , Artemisia verrica is a genus of the poppy family. The Hengduan Mountains and the Himalayas in southwest China are their main distribution and differentiation centers. They can be seen from the alpine shrubland at an altitude of 3,000 meters to the 5,000-meter flowing rocky beach.
According to different classifications, the species of Artemisia arvensis range from 49 to 79 species, and there are also various hybridizations. For plant lovers, it is not easy to separate them one by one.
Full-edged leafy artemisia and wish for primrose
However, it is widely recognized by researchers that many of the artemisia green velvet are a group of plants that are undergoing rapid differentiation along with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the drastic changes in geographical and climatic conditions have brought about continuous changes in habitats, and artemisia green velvet has become more diversified.
Most artemisia annua is a perennial plant that blooms only once in a lifetime, and this particular habit is the result of long-term evolution to adapt to the extreme natural environment of the mountains. From a seed germination to maturity, Artemisia verrica undergoes several years of vegetative growth, lives stoically in the short growing season of the mountains every year, strives to absorb light and heat, tenaciously absorbs water and minerals, and painstakingly accumulates energy and waits. After many years, Artemisia verrica finally ushered in a rare opportunity to flower, poured everything into it, bloomed unreservedly, and then pollinated the fruit, scattered the seeds and died completely, completing the cycle of life.
In Barang Mountain, you may see five or six kinds of green velvet artemisia, red flower green velvet artemisia, long-leaf green velvet artemisia, Barang mountain green velvet artemisia, sandwiched gold mountain green velvet artemisia, which is extremely rare for a mountain. From Chengdu by car, you can arrive from the bustling downtown area and enjoy their vivid and splendid scenery.
In Mount Barang, three species of artemisia green velvet appear in a small area: Artemisia safflower, Artemisia longifolia and Artemisia vulgaris vulgaris.
Full-margined Artemisia versicolor (left) and Artemisia longifolia
Artemisia annua was an important target for Wilson to collect in China. They were the first to open in Barang Hill and are very abundant.
In May, the spring snow of the mountains gradually melts, and they emerge from the snow one by one, and suddenly bloom huge yellow flowers, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds of the plateau, and together with a cluster of purple wishes to spring, they form a sea of flowers that spread across the mountains.
Artemisia safflower is a very unique presence in Artemisia annua. They have unique bright red petals, one blooming each, the flowers hanging downwards, and the petals are crumpled like a red handkerchief that has just been drawn. Whoever it is, will be attracted by such a passionate flower and involuntarily stop to admire.
Artemisia safflower is mainly distributed in northwest sichuan, southeast Qinghai and southwest Gansu, and the Balang Mountains are close to the southern boundary of distribution, but they can be seen prominently in the shrubs and meadows here.
The flowers are purple-red and several are arranged in a total inflorescence, bowl-shaped, often slightly drooping. Meadows with small flowers grow under the flowing rock beach are their favorite habitat.
Barang Mountain Green Velvet Artemisia (left) and Golden Mountain Green Velvet Artemisia flower color, one blue, one dark purple.
Barang Mountain Green Velvet Artemisia and Jiajin Mountain Green Velvet Artemisia flower color, one blue and one dark purple, are unique species distributed in the area of Barang Mountain - Jiajin Mountain, which can also be seen from their naming, which is the unique environment of this mountainous area, which has created their unique posture. In older classifications , they are thought to be only variants of artemisia vulgaris.
Just a few days before this article was written, I heard that someone was picking flowers and taking photos in Barang Hill, which caused heated discussion and criticism after posting them to social media. In addition to the yellow donkey hoof grass, purple broken rice leaves and primroses, there are also poisonous wolf poison and quinoa, as well as Tibetan orchid.
I also encountered such a scene several times when I led the team to watch the flowers at Barang Mountain, and I stopped it several times. Destruction stems from ignorance, from indifference, in such a cold environment, no plant survival is easy to talk about, behind the brilliant bloom, how many years of silent efforts have been accumulated?
Recently, some people picked flowers in Barang Hill to take pictures, and after posting them on social media, they triggered heated discussion and criticism. In addition to the yellow donkey hoof grass, purple broken rice leaves and primroses, there are also poisonous wolf poison and quinoa, as well as Tibetan orchid. Network Infographic
More than a hundred years later, we can still feel the shock that Wilson felt here. After another hundred years, will future generations still be able to understand how we feel at this time?
It depends on our current actions. I hope that more people can understand the unique beauty of these plants, with a camera, with eyes, with heart. And such beauty is worth cherishing and loving.
(This article is written by Zou Tao, wildlife photographer, museum tour leader, and nature theme writer.) He has been engaged in the conservation of rare wild animals and plants and nature education for many years, and has long been concerned about and photographed the landscape, biological and cultural diversity of the mountains of southwest China. ）