Chapter 21 Chapter 20 Gui picks golden millet branches and branches, and puts dark clouds and blossoming fragrance.

I want to talk about a flower named after a single character: osmanthus. I remember that I said in an article about flowers in Chengdu that almost all plants named after single characters are, at a glance, native species of ancient China.At that time, the writing medium was hard to come by, and the words were saved.But reviewing ancient books, we know that the osmanthus tree appeared in the earliest mythology and geography books in China.This book certainly is.There is a record in this book that "the mountain of swagger is on the west sea, rich in laurel, rich in gold and jade". The description of where this ostentatious mountain is located is remote and blurred. I, who is close to an idiot with knowledge of ancient geography, dare not guess which piece of water the "West Sea" that can be used as a reference is today.But from this we know that people at that time already knew the osmanthus tree, appreciated and cherished the osmanthus flower.Otherwise, at that time, the vegetation on the mountain was much more luxuriant than today, so why is it that osmanthus is the only one to be juxtaposed with the underground treasures of gold and jade?Uphill and downhill, with so many treasures, this mountain is worth "showing off".Throughout the ages, gold has been a bit tacky.But juxtaposing this fragrant flower with the warm and smoky jade is also a kind of elegance.Therefore, the mountain in this place can be regarded as quite tasteful, unlike our people today, in today's era, they are so ostentatious just because of their wealth.

On the second day of the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I saw the sweet-scented osmanthus blooming on a mountain near the sea.That sea is the East China Sea on the map of China today.This mountain is called Mogan Mountain.Among the bamboo forests in the mountains, where there are roads and trails, there are round osmanthus trees standing.It's just that I only looked at the bamboo forest at that time, and didn't pay much attention to the sweet-scented osmanthus.It's late at night, sitting on the large balcony facing the canyon and watching the huge round moon.Suddenly there was an aroma.The moonlight is like water, overlooking the plain below the mountain, all shrouded in the hazy moonlight.It is exactly the artistic conception in the ancient poems: "The osmanthus falls in the middle of the moon, and the sky is fragrant and the clouds are floating outside."

A word flashed in my mind: sweet-scented osmanthus!When I look up at the moon again, I have Wu Gang in my heart.There is the myth that Wu Gang was punished to cut down the osmanthus tree that would never fall in the Moon Palace. I also thought of Yang Wanli's poem about osmanthus: It is not a human species, it is moved from the middle of the moon. A little bit of Guanghan fragrance, blowing all over the mountains. Poet Yang directly claimed that the tree did not exist in the human world, but came from "the middle of the moon".Now, a bit of the cold fragrance that was originally condensed in the Guanghan Palace came to the warm world, was fumigated by the hot steam, and was blown away by the wind, and it spread like this, filling the world.This world does not only refer to the outside world, but also the world that includes our inner emotions.

In a few days, return to Chengdu from Zhejiang.The sweet-scented osmanthus is really in full bloom. Sitting on the tenth floor and opening the window to read a book.The aroma from the two sweet-scented osmanthus downstairs comes from time to time.Can't help but go downstairs to see the sweet-scented osmanthus.It was not enough to see these two plants, so I drove to the panda base in the north of the city, where there are rolling hills, winding paths, and lush forests.Looking out from there, you can also see a few corners of the countryside left in the city. In short, it is a good place in Chengdu where you can enjoy flowers and trees.As if to suit people’s mood, along the way, the sun became brighter and brighter. From a distance, I saw the tall jacaranda that is rarely seen in Chengdu, and saw the beautiful feathery leaves of the jacaranda flickering in the sun from time to time. You will know where you are.

There's another reason to love this place.The garden is large, and there are one or two corners on the road that does not lead to the Panda House. There are few people and it is a bit deserted, so there is some natural charm of mountains and fields. Unlike all parks, there are too many people and too many deliberate traces of artificial charm.After entering the garden, the first thing I saw was Sijigui appearing beside the road.The sweet-scented osmanthus is small and hidden under the dense leaves, if it is not full of fragrance, it is difficult to attract attention.Especially Siji osmanthus, the plant is short and often pruned into a hedge. As the name suggests, although it is open all seasons, it is not as strong as some kinds of osmanthus.

But today, I made a special trip to look for the sweet-scented osmanthus to bloom.It's just that it's not the inconspicuous Four Seasons Osmanthus that blooms in all seasons.It's the ones that open in autumn, osmanthus and osmanthus. Before seeing the flowers and trees appearing, there is already a fragrance wafting in. After following the fragrance, I saw several osmanthus trees, some privet, and some eucalyptus trees standing in front of them alternately. Osmanthus fragrans belongs to Oleaceae in plant classification. At least the Oleaceae plants I know have dense flowers and strong aroma.For example, the lilac and privet that were written in this group of phenology.Osmanthus fragrans is also similar to cloves and privet in the same family in terms of fine flowers and strong fragrance.There is also a difference, that is, the sweet-scented osmanthus is far less dense than the lilac and privet, so that it can form eye-catching panicles.

Osmanthus fragrans, in the words of Flora, is "inflorescences clustered in leaf axils".Here, it is necessary to explain the meaning of this "leaf axil".The botanical definition is still very professional: "The base of the leaf toward the axis is called the leaf axil."People who don't have a background in botany still don't quite understand.But everyone has seen the appearance of leaves growing on trees.Osmanthus fragrans is a broad-leaved tree, so I am not talking about the leaves of coniferous trees like pine trees, but the leaves of broad-leaved trees, such as the leaves of camellia trees.Because the laurel tree is the same.For this type of broad-leaved tree, when the leaves grow from the trunk or branches, each leaf has a "handle" in Sichuan dialect, and then the leaves unfold on this handle.That is, it unfolds on the "petiole".And there is an included angle between the petiole and the trunk, just like a human armpit-"armpit", leaf axil.Axillary, this metaphor is taken from people.Yes, the sweet-scented osmanthus grows from the axils of the leaves of the osmanthus tree, clinging to the branches, so low-key that it can be hidden under the leathery opposite leaves.Therefore, when you look down or look down, you often see only a tree with green leaves.Fortunately, sweet-scented osmanthus trees can always grow taller.Therefore, once we stand in front of a tree that is taller than us, those leaves lose their function of covering up, and when we look up a little, clusters of light yellow or orange-yellow osmanthus flowers appear in front of our eyes.

There are two kinds of colors. The orange one is called Osmanthus osmanthus. The light yellow one is called Jingui. The color of Jingui is light and elegant, but the aroma is very strong.Osmanthus osmanthus is brighter in color, but its fragrance is faintly present. This is also a common phenomenon in the plant world.Those with bright colors do not have such a strong aroma as we imagined.Flowers with a strong fragrance may not be gorgeous in color.This is because the color and aroma are actually tricks for flowers to attract insects to pollinate them.For the simple-minded bugs, it is not necessary to use two tricks at the same time. Using one trick for color and aroma is enough to seduce.There is no need to use the two moves at the same time, which consumes so much energy.Because for plants, flowering is the thing that consumes the most nutrients and energy.

In a foreigner's flower viewing guide, there is a suggestion to bring a ten-fold magnifying glass.Osmanthus fragrans is such a delicate flowered plant that should be viewed with a magnifying glass.Each flower has four petals, guarding two stamens with brown anthers in the middle. Below the stamens, there is a hidden delicate ovary. As mentioned earlier, I like to go to the Panda Base to watch plants because compared with other parks, it still retains more wildness.If there are not only horticultural plants, viewing in such a place can get more natural interest.Osmanthus is also first wild and then planted.Zhu Xi wrote about osmanthus:

The osmanthus under the pavilion rock is fragrant alone at the end of the year. The leaves are densely green, and the flowers are yellowish. It is said that Song poetry has more reasoning but less interest. Zhu Xi is a great Neo Confucianist born in this era, but this poem is just observation and presentation.I think it's a wild sweet-scented osmanthus.Chengdu is bordered by Hengduan Mountain to the west and Qinling Mountains to the north. These two mountainous areas are home to many native Chinese plants.Osmanthus fragrans is also a native species of China, and its hometown is in the mountains near Chengdu.

It is said that osmanthus was domesticated and introduced in the Han Dynasty.At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, osmanthus trees were introduced to the imperial palace and succeeded.After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the cultivation of sweet-scented osmanthus became popular.Especially in the Tang Dynasty, it was very common for cultural people to plant osmanthus, because for those who need to be able to pass the imperial examinations and go to success, the high school exams are called Toad Palace Zhegui, which is a branch of the sweet-scented osmanthus tree that Wu Gang cut down endlessly on the moon. Fragrant flowers.Therefore, some people call osmanthus "heavenly fragrance".But no matter what, the fragrant sweet-scented osmanthus has come to human beings and entered their courtyards. "Osmanthus fragrans stays in the evening, and the shade of the curtain fades into autumn light", this poem describes the scene of osmanthus fragrans standing in front of someone's window. Lu You's poem: "The heavy dew is moist and fragrant, the path is dawning, and the setting sun is baking the pistils and the small window is beautiful", which is also the scene of sweet-scented osmanthus entering the courtyard. Of course, the best place to see sweet-scented osmanthus in Chengdu should be Guihu Park. There is a legend about this handsome man who planted sweet-scented osmanthus when he was young and proud, but the authenticity is difficult to ascertain.But the poem about sweet-scented osmanthus that he left behind is true: "The jasper in the treasure forest is cool, and the autumn wind sends sweet-scented osmanthus. Pick the golden millet branches and branches, and insert the dark clouds to make them fragrant." Oh, from this we know that at that time, women liked to put sweet-scented osmanthus on their beautiful hair.At that time, it is not only the sweet-scented osmanthus itself that is "plugged with dark clouds and fragrant".