Flowers and Plants

Bamboo of the Ladies of the Xiang (Xiang1 Fei1 Zhu3 湘妃竹) - a type of spotted bamboo (ban1 zhu3 斑竹) from the Phyllostachys species (i.e. Phyllostachys bambusoides f. lacrima-deae Keng et Wen) that is used for building, paper, flooring, furniture, etc. Guo Yanzhi broke a chair that was made from the Bamboo of the Ladies of the Xiang when he cracked his whip in anger at the Little House of Zither Melodies (Chapter 11).

Camellia (cha2 hua1 茶花) - an evergreen and long-lived plant that blooms from autumn to late spring. Blooms range from simple single-form flowers to formal doubles in form. Easily cultivated in open ground or in pots, they can be sizeable trees, dense spreading shrubs suited for hedges and general garden plants, or dwarf plants suitable for containers and hanging baskets.

Camellias originate in the subtropical regions in China -- especially Yunnan, where the plants are purportedly better than those found anywhere else (Chapter 2) -- Japan and neighbouring countries. They love warm wet summers and moderately cold dry winters, but can prosper surprisingly well in a range of adverse climatic conditions, tolerating dry summers and wet winters. Frost hardiness is -5°C (25°F) in pots and about -15 to -20°C (0 to 5°F) in open ground. Research is presently done on hybrids with improved cold-hardiness.

Two varieties that Duan Yu found, to his surprise, on the bank on the Lake of Swords:

• A Feather Garment and a Rainbow Skirt (Yu3 Yi3 Ni2 Chang2 羽衣霓裳) - a variety on the bank of the Lake of Swords that Duan Yu found better than the specimens of the same that he had at home (Chapter 2).
• A Lotus Grows on Every Step (Bu4 Bu4 Sheng1 Lian2 步步生莲) - a variety on the bank of the Lake of Swords that Duan Yu did not find pure in terms of genetic content (Chapter 2).

Varieties that Duan Yu had in his home:

• The Eighteen Scholars (Shi2 Ba1 Xue2 Shi4 十八学士) - a variety that Duan Yu spent all his time either staring at or thinking about when he was seven years old; when the blooms wilted, he cried for several days (Chapter 2). Had non-variegated (pure) flowers in eighteen different colours. None of the flowers looked alike in terms of shape and form, but all of them bloomed and wilted at the same time. One of the best camellia cultivars in the world (Chapter 12). Note: In real-life, the Eighteen Scholars look just like those in the picture below. Belonging to the Camellia japonica species, they come in three colours: (1) pink with red marks, (2) pure red, and (3) white with red marks. Nevertheless, they are still a highly prized cultivar.

• The Thirteen Protectors (Shi2 San1 Tai4 Bao3 十三太保) - a variety that was one grade lower than the 'Eighteen Scholars'; had 13 non-variegated blooms of different colours on the same bush (Chapter 12).
• The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea (Ba1 Xian1 Guo4 Hai3 八仙过海) - a variety that was one grade lower than the 'Thirteen Protectors'; had 8 non-variegated blooms of different colours on the same bush. Had to have a deep purple bloom and a light red one; stood for Li Tieguai 李铁拐 and He Xiangu 何仙姑 respectively. Without the deep purple and the light red blooms, the 'Eight Immortals' camellia should be called the 'Eight Treasures of Adornment' (see below).
• The Seven Fairies (Qi1 Xian1 Nü3 七仙女) - a variety that was one grade lower than the 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'; had 7 non-variegated blooms of different colours on the same bush.
• The Three Travel-Weary Heroes (Feng1 Chen2 San1 Xia2 风尘三侠) - a variety that was one grade lower than the 'Seven Fairies'; had 3 non-variegated blooms of different colours on the same bush. The purple bloom had to be the largest (representing the 'Guest with the Curly Sideburns' 虬髯客), the white bloom mid-sized (representing Li Jing 李靖) and the red bloom smallest (representing Hong Funü 红拂女). Anything that did not follow the designated bloom-sizes was deemed lower in grade and value. Note: The 'Three Travel-Weary Heroes' is a story from the early days of the Tang Dynasty.
• The Two Towers (Er4 Qiao2 二乔) - a variety that was one grade lower than the 'Three Travel-Weary Heroes'; had 2 non-variegated blooms on the same bush, one in pure red and the other in pure white.
• The Eight Treasures of Adornment (Ba1 Bao3 Zhuang1 八宝妆) - a variety of resembled the 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea', except that it lacked a deep purple bloom and a light red one. One grade lower than the 'Eight Immortals'.

Duan Yu was surprised to find camellias that were native to Dali -- called 'dian1 cha2' 滇茶, literally 'Yunnan camellias'; actually a species known as 'Camellia reticulata' that has been propagated for hundreds of years as garden plants in Dali, Kunming, Lijiang, Tengchong and adjacent areas -- on the banks of Lake Tai in Suzhou (Chapter 12).

Other Chinese names for 'camellias' (Chapter 12):

• 'yu4 ming2' 玉茗, literally 'jade tea-plant'.
• 'man4 tuo2 luo2 hua1' 曼陀罗花. Note: This should not to be confused with the flower 'Datura', which is 'man4 tuo2 luo2' 曼佗罗 with a different 'tuo2'.

Varieties that Mrs Wang grew in the grounds of her manor:

• Adorned in Red, Clad in White (Hong2 Zhuang1 Su4 Guo3 红妆素裹) - a cultivar that Mrs Wang brought home when Duan Yu, A'Bi and A'Zhu visited. Had white blooms with wine-red marks on its petals. Planted by Duan Yu in the shady area beside a clump of bamboo.
• Attractive Eyes (Yan3 Er2 Mei4 眼儿媚) - a cultivar that Mrs Wang brought home when Duan Yu, A'Bi and A'Zhu visited. Had white blooms with black olive-shaped marks on its petals. Planted by Duan Yu in the shady area beside a clump of bamboo.
• Full Moon (Man3 Yue4 满月) - a cultivar that Mrs Wang brought home when Duan Yu, A'Bi and A'Zhu visited. Had large white blooms with darkish marks on its petals; looked just like the moon. Planted by Duan Yu in the shady area beside a clump of bamboo.
• Scratches on a Beauty's Face (Zhua1 Po4 Mei3 Ren2 Lian3 抓破美人脸) - a cultivar that Mrs Wang brought home when Duan Yu, A'Bi and A'Zhu visited. Had white blooms with a hint of green and a single thin red line on its petals; represented the face of a beauty that was scratched by a green-feathered parrot. If there were too many red lines on the petals, the camellia would then be called the 'Charming Beauty Leaning on the Balustrade' (Yi3 Lan2 Jiao1 倚栏娇). Planted by Duan Yu in the shady area beside a clump of bamboo. Note: In real-life, there is a variety of camellia that is known as 'Scratches on a Face' (Zhua1 Po4 Lian3 抓破脸) in Yunnan.

• The Scholar Who Failed in the Imperial Examination (Luo4 Di4 Xiu4 Cai2 落第秀才) - a camellia with richly-coloured blooms in red, white, purple and yellow. Treasured by Mrs Wang, but simply known as the 'Five-Coloured Camellia'. Known to Mrs Wang to have flowers in at least 15 or 16 shades; identified by Duan Yu to have a total of 17 different shades. Had variegated flowers that came in different sizes and bloomed at different times; a mere copy that could not be compared to the 'Eighteen Scholars' (see above).

Sweet-scented osmanthus (gui4 hua1 桂花) - also known as 'mu4 xi1' 木犀; widely cultivated for the perfume of its flowers. Jiumozhi chopped a branch off the sweet-scented osmanthus tree in the hall of the Little House of Zither Melodies in an attempt to get Duan Yu to imitate the act with the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels (Chapter 11).

Red caltrops (shui3 hong2 ling2 水红菱) - grew in abundance in certain parts of Lake Tai, obscuring the water from view. Moved along with the water currents and winds, changing the 'appearance' of the lake. A'Bi picked some red caltrops from the lake and gave them to Duan Yu, but Duan could not peel them because his major acupoints had been sealed by Jiumozhi. When A'Bi peeled one for him, he found its flesh extraordinarily fragrant, crunchy, refreshing and sweet (Chapter 11).

Reeds (lu2 wei3 芦苇) - tall, aquatic or semi-aquatic reeds from the Phragmites genus that are found in nearly all parts of the world. The rhizomes have medicinal uses, and the plants aid in soil retention. Reed beds can also be used for the purification of water. Reeds -- generally of the Phragmites australis species -- grew in abundance in certain parts of Lake Tai; made different parts of the lake look similar (Chapter 11).

Lotus leaves (he2 ye4 荷叶) - grew in abundance in certain parts of Lake Tai, obscuring the water from view. Moved along with the water currents and winds, changing the 'appearance' of the lake (Chapter 11).

Zizania latifolia (jiao1 bai2 茭白) - also known as 'jiao1 gu1' 茭菰. An aquatic plant that is cultivated as a vegetable in China. The young shoots and rhizomes are edible when infected, swollen, and softened by the fungus Ustilago esculenta. Used for food by the Emperor in ancient China; currently being used by fishermen.

Grew in abundance in certain parts of Lake Tai; made different parts of the lake look similar. A'Bi and A'Zhu served Duan Yu, Jiumozhi, Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi with a dish of Zizania latifolia with shrimp for dinner at the Dwelling Place of the Brocade Many-Stringed Zither (2nd edition only; removed from the 3rd edition probably because of it was historically the food of Emperors). Duan Yu plugged the ears of A'Bi and A'Zhu with leaves from the Zizania latifolia to stop them from succumbing to Jiumozhi's hypnotic voice (Chapter 11).