Introduce a plant you know, what does it look like, and what are its characteristics?

Osmanthus is the customary name for many trees of the genus Oleacea in China. The representative species is Osmanthus fragrans (Thunb.) Lour., also known as rock osmanthus. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the family Oleaceae. The hard skin is thin, the leaves are oblong and pointed, opposite, and will not wither through winter. Between the leaves of peanuts, the corolla has four split petals and is small in shape. There are many horticultural varieties, the most representative of which are golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, laurel, etc.

Osmanthus is one of the top ten famous traditional flowers in China. It is an excellent garden tree species that is both ornamental and practical, integrating greening, beautification and fragrance. Osmanthus is a clear and powerful garden tree that can stand out from the dust and spread far and wide when concentrated. Absolutely. Especially in the mid-autumn season, the osmanthus trees are in full bloom, and when the night is quiet, drinking wine to enjoy the osmanthus flowers will make you feel refreshed and refreshing. Among ancient Chinese poems about flowers, there are also a considerable number of poems about osmanthus. It has been deeply loved by the Chinese people since ancient times and is regarded as a traditional famous flower.

Osmanthus tea made from osmanthus is a specialty tea in China. It has a soft aroma and delicious taste and is loved by the public. Osmanthus fragrans is widely used in garden construction.

Chinese scientific name

Osmanthus

Latin scientific name

Osmanthus sp.

Osmanthus sp.

Rock osmanthus, osmanthus, mulberry, golden millet

Kingdom

Plant kingdom

Phylum

Angiosperm

Morphological Characteristics

Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen tree or shrub, 3-5 meters high, up to 18 meters high; the bark is grey-brown. Branchlets yellowish brown, hairless. The leaves are leathery, elliptical, oblong or elliptical-lanceolate, 7-14.5 cm long, 2.6-4.5 cm wide, the apex is acuminate, the base is attenuate into a wedge-shaped or wide wedge-shaped, the entire edge or usually the upper part has Finely serrated, hairless on both sides, glandular points connected into small vesicle-like protrusions on both sides, midrib concave on the upper surface, convex below, 6-8 pairs of lateral veins, up to 10 pairs, concave on the upper surface, convex below; petiole 0.8-1.2 cm long, up to 15 cm long, hairless.

Osmanthus varieties

Cymes are clustered in the leaf axils, or almost broom-shaped, with multiple flowers in each axil; the bracts are wide and oval, thick, 2-4 long mm, with a small pointed head, hairless; the pedicel is slender, 4-10 mm long, hairless; the flowers are extremely fragrant; the calyx is about 1 mm long, the lobes are slightly irregular; the corolla is yellow-white, light yellow, yellow or orange, long 3-4 mm, the corolla tube is only 0.5-1 mm long; the stamens are inserted in the middle of the corolla tube, the filaments are very short, about 0.5 mm long, the anthers are about 1 mm long, and the septum extends slightly from the apex of the anther to form an inconspicuous tip. Head; pistil is about 1.5 mm long, style is about 0.5 mm long. The fruit is oblique, oval, 1-1.5 cm long, purple-black in color. The flowering period is from September to early October, and the fruiting period is in March of the following year.

There are osmanthus with strong growth potential, thick branches, large leaves, rough leaf surfaces, dark green leaves, and orange-red flowers; there are osmanthus with medium growth, smooth leaf surfaces, serrated leaf margins, and flowers Milky white silver osmanthus with dense flowers and sweet fragrance; strong growth potential, smooth leaf surface, sparsely serrated or entire leaf margins, light yellow flowers, sparse flowers, and light fragrance, except in September-October in autumn and those listed above In addition to the varieties that bloom at the same time, there is also the Sijigui that blooms again every 2 or 3 months. The fruits of Dangui and Siguigui are purple-black drupes, commonly known as Guizi. Osmanthus seedlings have an obvious taproot and a well-developed and deep root system. The young roots are light yellowish brown and the old roots are yellowish brown[2].

Growing environment

Osmanthus is adapted to subtropical climate areas. Sex likes warmth and moisture. The average temperature in the planting area is 14-28°C. The average temperature in July is 24-28°C. The average temperature in January is above 0°C. It can withstand the lowest temperature of -13°C. The optimal growing temperature is 15-28°C. Humidity is extremely important for the growth and development of sweet-scented osmanthus. It requires an average annual humidity of 75-85 and an annual precipitation of about 1,000 mm. Especially young and adult trees require more water when they bloom. Drought will affect flowering, strong sunlight and shade. It is unfavorable to its growth and generally requires 6-8 hours of light per day.

Osmanthus likes warmth and has strong resistance to stress. It can withstand both high temperature and cold. Therefore, it can survive the winter in the open in the Qinling Mountains and areas south of the Huaihe River in China. Osmanthus prefers sunlight but can also tolerate shade. Its branches and leaves grow luxuriantly and the flowers bloom densely in full sunlight, while it grows in the shade with sparse branches and leaves and few flowers. If you are potting indoors in the north, you need to pay special attention to sufficient light to facilitate growth and the formation of flower buds. Osmanthus is very moist and avoids water accumulation, but it also has a certain drought tolerance. Osmanthus fragrans does not have strict soil requirements. It can generally grow except in alkaline soil and low-lying land or soil that is too heavy and has poor drainage. However, it needs a slightly acidic sandy loam with deep, loose and fertile soil and good drainage. most appropriate. Osmanthus fragrans has certain resistance to harmful gases such as chlorine, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride, and has a strong ability to absorb dust. It is often used in cities and industrial and mining areas.

Osmanthus fragrans is suitable for planting in a ventilated and light-transmitting place; it likes a clean and ventilated environment, but is intolerant to smoke and dust damage, and often cannot bloom after being damaged; it is afraid of flooding and water logging. If it is damaged by waterlogging, the roots will turn black. Rot, the leaves will first wither at the tip of the leaf, and then the whole leaf will turn yellow and fall off, leading to the death of the whole plant; it is not very cold-resistant, but compared with other evergreen broad-leaved tree species, it is still a relatively cold-resistant tree species.