Green elves dotted with lawns in South China

In May, Shenzhen has entered the rainy season, with torrential rain every day for a week. I haven't seen the sun for a long time, and my mood is not as bright as it used to be.

Walking in the small park next to the neighborhood in the morning, passing by the bamboo fence on the lawn, I was surprised to see that the plant that had never known its name had grown a scape, the first olive green flower on the scape, and many budding buds. Ohh! There was a burst of excitement in my heart, so this is Meiguan Orchid! Instant mood high to fly, even the pace also feels a lot more brisk.

Liu Liuqing

This is the third time I have seen Mei Guan Lan bloom. The first time was at the foot of Wutong Mountain. I didn't know what kind of flower it was at that time. I glanced at it and hurried by. The second time is in the green belt of a parking lot in Qianhai, a total of four Cymbidium scape grow together, tall and moving. I didn't expect to find it on my doorstep this time.

In the green belt of the parking lot, the scape is taller than the bushes.

Eulophia graminea may not be known to plant lovers in the north, but to plant lovers in South China, it is one of the famous "lawn treasures" of Orchidaceae. The other two treasures are string orchid and sage. Some people call them "lawn three bitches", the reason why they call them "three bitches", because they are not as noble as people think of orchids, but are very approachable, easy to grow and see orchids.

In this small park in front of my house, small orchids can often be seen sprouting on the grass in early spring and February. They grow so humbly that you can't even notice their existence. I haven't seen Magnolia and Scarpus before. I didn't see Magnolia there for the first time until last winter, but I didn't know it at that time. As for the grass, a flower lover who grew up in Guangdong said that she often saw it when she was a child, but now it is very difficult to see them in the city, largely because the gardeners are too diligent and the grass begins to grow. Face the fate of being cut off or pulled out.

The long-leaved Cymbidium and Liuqing

Referring to the electronic version of Chinese Flora, it is found that Magnolia belongs to Orchidaceae. There are about 200 species in the world and 14 species in China. In addition to Cymbidium, there are also Cymbidium leafless and Cymbidium yunnanensis. Specifically in Shenzhen, the electronic version of Shenzhen Flora only records two kinds of Magnolia and leafless Magnolia, while what we see in the city is basically the species of Magnolia.

Like many Orchidaceae plants, Magnolia has conical or spherical false bulbs that look like garlic. The first time I saw it in a small park was in winter. At that time, it had 3-5 long leaves and had not yet blossomed. I didn't know it was Magnolia. I thought it was ordinary grass. So it has always been very strange that the leaves of this grass are very common, how can the roots protrude so big? This question has also perplexed me for a long time, and now it has finally solved the mystery. The huge false bulb is also the key point for the identification of Magnolia. In most cases, the pseudobulb is green and partly exposed to the ground.

False bulbs and withered leaves

A false bulb hidden in the turf and a newly grown scape

The flowering period of Cymbidium is from April to May. In most cases, the flowers and leaves of the cymbidium do not meet. When the flowers bloom, the leaves have withered and the scape grows from the side of the dead leaves. Soon after the flowers have withered, the leaves will grow again.

In most cases, the cymbidium blossoms without leaves and willows.

The scape of Cymbidium can grow to 40-60 cm high and is covered with flowers. Flowers small, olive green, with two middle sepals and three lateral sepals, lateral sepals slightly longer. The sepals all have yellowish-brown stripes and the lips are white with purplish red folds. If you look at it from the side, you can also find that it is a small distance, which bends slightly.

-Super-

Although Meiguan Orchid is a "weed" in the city lawn, I think its beauty is elegant and wild, independent of the world, with the temperament of mountain orchids; its beauty is also thin, tall scape, several branches grow together and stand in the pavilion, Yushu facing the wind.

-Super-

When I went for a walk the next morning, I came to see this magnolia tree again. I wanted to see it bloom a few more flowers, but it was a pity that I didn't know whether it had been crooked by the wind and rain or by someone else. I used the black line wrapped around the bamboo fence to straighten it up and fix it. I hope it can return to its original appearance. But when I came back in the evening, the upper part of the scape had been completely broken away, leaving the second half empty, and I could not help sighing that "the wood will be destroyed by the forest wind". It is too obvious that it grows under the fence on the side of the path.

Fortunately, on the third day, I found a crown orchid in the spider orchid bushes in the small park. Its long scape was a little lodging, mixed with the leaves of the spider orchid, and it was difficult for ordinary people to see its flowers, so it survived. Fortunately, this cymbidium is at the end of its florescence, and there are both flowers and fruit on the scape. I can observe its fruit, which is very full, like a small drumstick. I quietly put the scape back to the original place, no longer disturb it, but also hope that the gardeners will not disturb it, just let it die and be independent.

The surviving Magnolia in the park

Meiguan orchid fruit willow green

Observing Magnolia is a very happy process. You don't know where they will be and when they will suddenly appear in front of you. As a British plant enthusiast in the CCTV documentary "Wilson in China" described it: "these green leaves and flowers make me feel peaceful and bring us great fun here."

Ordinary as Meiguan orchid, looming in the city, blooming in South China in early summer, like green elves, dotted with lawns, but also dotted with our lives.

Author: snow Fangfei

Picture: snow Fangfei,-Chao -, Liu Liuqing

Thank you-Chao and Liu Liuqing for your friendship

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