What is Buxus (describe the main characteristics of Buxus)

Trees have a profound cultural heritage in China. As natural things, they are regarded as creatures of another life form, so different trees also have their own characteristics. When it comes to famous trees in China, most people can think of mahogany and rosewood, which are widely known for their high prices. But there is also a tree that stands out from many famous trees and has the elegant name of "a gentleman in the forest". It is also a well-known tree species in China and has been endowed with profound and rich humanistic feelings. This is boxwood.

Chinese name: boxwood

Nicknames: boxwood, melon seeds boxwood, brocade ripe boxwood.

Field: the field of plants

Phylum: Angiosperm phylum

Category: Dicotyledonous plants

Subclass: primitive perianth subclass

Objective: Sapindus mukoraiensis

Suborder: boxwood

Family: Barkis.

Genus: boxwood.

Type: Boxwood

morphological character

Boxwood is a shrub or small tree with a height of1-6m; Branches are cylindrical, with longitudinal edges and grayish white; Branchlets quadrangular, opposite surfaces pubescent or glabrous, internodes 0.5-2 cm long. The leaves are leathery, broadly elliptic, broadly obovate, ovoid or oblong, most of them are1.5-3.5cm long and 0.8-2cm wide, the leaf tips are rounded or blunt, the notches are small, the base is not sharp, round or sharp or wedge-shaped, the leaves are bright, the midvein is prominent, the lower part has fine hairs, the lateral veins are obvious, and the midvein on the back of the leaves is flat or slightly prominent.

Inflorescence axillary, capitate, densely flowered, inflorescence axis 3-4 mm long, hairy, bracts broadly ovate, 2-2.5 mm long, hairy on the back; Male flower: about 10, without pedicels, the outer sepals are oval, the inner sepals are nearly round, 2.5-3 mm long, glabrous, the stamens and anthers are 4 mm long, the sterile pistil has a rod-shaped stalk, the top is enlarged, and the height is about 2 mm (the height is about 2/3 or several times the length of sepals); Female flower: Sepals 3 mm long, ovary slightly longer than style, hairless, style thick and flat, stigma inverted heart-shaped, extending down to the middle of style.

Capsule is nearly spherical, 6-8(- 10) mm long, and persistent style is 2-3 mm long. It blooms in March and bears fruit in May-June.

Country of origin

There are many valleys, streams and forests, with an altitude of 1200-2600 meters. China, Shaanxi, Gansu, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, some of which are cultivated. Type specimens were collected from Changyang County, Hubei Province.

Growth habit

Boxwood likes loose loam, slightly acidic soil or slightly alkaline soil, and can also grow in calcareous soil. Potted plants can be mixed with appropriate amount of chaff ash with mature pastoral soil or humus soil. It is resistant to shade and likes light, and can maintain good growth under indoor and outdoor conditions. In the long-term shading environment, although the leaves can remain green, it is easy to cause the branches to grow white or weaken. Like wet, can withstand rainy weather for about a month, but avoid long-term water accumulation. Drought tolerance, as long as the surface soil or basin soil is not completely dry, there is no abnormal performance. Heat-resistant and cold-resistant, able to withstand summer exposure and the cold of MINUS 20 degrees Celsius, but it should be ventilated when it is hot and humid in summer. The requirements for soil are not strict, and light and fertile sandy loam is better. Potted plants can also be made of vermiculite, peat or soil, which has strong alkali resistance. Strong tillering ability, pruning resistance and easy molding. Leaves will turn red in autumn after full illumination and dormancy.

geographical distribution

Jiangsu, Gansu, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shandong provinces, some of which are cultivated.

North warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest area (major cities: Shenyang, Huludao, Dalian, Dandong, Anshan, Liaoyang, Jinzhou, Yingkou, Panjin, Beijing, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Linfen, Changzhi, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Baoding, Tangshan, Handan, Xingtai, Chengde, Jinan, Dezhou, Yan 'an, Baoji and Tianshui).

Deciduous broad-leaved forest area in southern warm zone (main cities: Qingdao, Yantai, Rizhao, Weihai, Jining, Tai 'an, Zibo, Weifang, Zaozhuang, Linyi, Laiwu, Dongying, Xintai, Tengzhou, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, Anyang, Xi 'an, Xianyang, Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Yancheng, Huaibei, Bengbu, Korea.

North subtropical deciduous, evergreen and broad-leaved mixed forest areas (major cities: Nanjing, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Nantong, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hefei, Wuhu, Anqing, Huainan, Xiangfan and Shiyan).

Central subtropical evergreen deciduous broad-leaved forest area (major cities: Wuhan, Shashi, Huangshi, Yichang, Nanchang, Jingdezhen, Jiujiang, Ji 'an, Jinggangshan, Ganzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, Zhuzhou, Yueyang, Huaihua, Jishou, Changde, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Shaoyang, Guilin, Wenzhou, Jinhua, Ningbo, Chongqing, Chengdu, Dujiangyan, etc.

South subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest area (main cities: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Guangzhou, Foshan, Shunde, Dongguan, Huizhou, Shantou, Taipei, Liuzhou, Guiping and Gejiu).

Buxus hupehensis (variety)

The difference between this variety and the original variety lies in its slow growth, dense branches, usually 3-6 mm long internodes, thick leathery leaves, round or wide oval, sparse and wide oval, 9- 1 1(- 12) mm long, 8- 10 mm wide, and round top.

Produced in China, Guangdong (Ruyuan County), Hunan (Yizhang County) and Jiangxi (Lushan Wulaofeng); Born on rocks or bushes in the sun, altitude 1000- 1800 m. The model specimens were collected from Shijiuling, Ruyuan, Guangdong.

Buxus microphylla (variety)

The difference between this variety and Buxus hupehensis is that its leaves are thin leathery, broadly elliptic or broadly ovoid, 7 7- 10/0mm long and 5-7mm wide, with dark or bright leaves and prominent lateral veins. The capsule is 6-7 mm long and hairless (produced in Xingshan, Hubei Province, with long branchlets, oblong or obovate leaves and extremely bright top, the rest are the same as above).

China, Anhui (Huangshan), Zhejiang (Longtangshan), Jiangxi (Lushan), Hubei (Shennongjia, Xingshan); Born on a rock at an altitude of 1000 meters. Type specimens were collected from Huangshan Mountain.

Buxus humilis (variety)

This variety is different from Buxus hupehensis, with small leaves, 5-7(-9) mm long and 3.5-5(-6) mm wide, and hairless fruit. Different from Buxus microphylla, the epidermis is extremely thick, and there are often no lateral veins and wrinkles. The capsule is spherical with a length of 4 mm and a short style.

China, Badong and other counties in western Hubei Province, under forests on hillsides, with an altitude of 265,438+000 meters. The model specimens were collected near Niudong Bay in Badong.

This variety may also be the alpine type of Buxus microphylla.

Buxus intermedia (variety)

Different from the original variety, the height of sterile pistil and the length of sepals are 3:2.

Taiwan Province province, China.

Buxus acuta (subspecies) is also called Buxus longifolia.

This subspecies usually has elliptic lanceolate or lanceolate leaves, 2-3.5 cm long and 1- 1.3 cm wide. The two ends are tapered, the top is sharp or slightly blunt, the midrib protrudes to both sides, the lateral veins on the leaf surface are numerous and obvious, and the back of the leaf is smooth or slightly wrinkled after drying. Inflorescence and flower belong to the same subspecies. Capsule is generally 3 mm long and persistent style is 3 mm long.

China Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi and other provinces; On rocks or in bushes beside raw streams, 600-2000 meters above sea level. Type specimens were collected from western Hubei.

Main value

potted landscape

Boxwood bonsai trees are beautiful, with leaves like watercress, thick and shiny, evergreen all year round and can be enjoyed all year round. Yang brand boxwood bonsai, branches and leaves cut and tied, into a "cloud", as thin as a sheet, and then dotted with rocks, picturesque. The leaves of boxwood sprout in spring, and the trees are full of green, which is very pleasing to the eye. The ancients chanted poems of boxwood, boxwood wind ruler, the old woman wanted a thousand branches, and the leaves were deep and green. According to ancient records, she lived in a dragon. It depicts the charm of boxwood, which is an excellent material for family to cultivate bonsai.

garden

Gardens are often used as hedges, large flower beds, trimmed into spheres or other plastic cultivation, dotted with rocks or made into bonsai. Wood is hard and delicate, and it is the first-class material for carving process.

woodcarving

Boxwood carving is a kind of round carving art, based on boxwood, which originated in Yueqing. It has a history of 160 years. It is also called "Three Carvings in East Zhejiang" with Dongyang Wood Carving and Qingtian Stone Carving. It adopts the natural form of boxwood, with smooth wood, delicate texture, solemn color and materials. Boxwood carving is milky yellow. The longer it takes, the deeper the color will be, giving people an ancient and elegant aesthetic feeling.

medical science

Use roots and leaves as medicine. It can be collected and dried all year round.

Indications: expelling wind and removing dampness, activating qi and promoting blood circulation. It can be used for rheumatic arthralgia, dysentery, stomachache, colic, abdominal distension, toothache, traumatic injury, and swelling and pain.

Usage and dosage: 15-20g, which can be taken by decocting or soaking in wine; Appropriate amount is applied externally, mashed and applied to the affected area.

Eliminating yin with wood-old medicine: a radical solution for the weak.

Yao medicine is as short as a thousand years, while dyeing is Dan: branches and leaves treat hepatitis, eczema and scabies; The whole plant is used for traumatic injury and skin itching.

Yi medicine stems and branches treat epigastric cold pain, abdominal distension and flatulence, traumatic injury and hernia cold pain.

plant culture

Boxwood is still a very interesting topic. Li Yu called it gentleman's wind and "gentleman's forest". In his "With Mail", it is even recorded that "boxwood is one inch old and does not overflow, and it will shrink one inch in leap years. This is God's will." In fact, this statement has also been mentioned in other books. For example, Su Shi said in a poem: "There are countless flowers and trees in the garden, and only Huang Yang is in a leap year." "Natural History" even mentioned that someone had done a test, saying that boxwood would not decrease in leap years, and it would not last long. In Youyang Miscellany, there are also the following records about the felling of boxwood: "Boxwood is heavy in the world because it has no fire. Try using water. If it sinks, it won't catch fire. Anyone who takes this wood will find that there are no stars in the dark night, and it will not crack. " These statements put a mysterious coat on boxwood and added a lot of interest to boxwood's works as people's favorite playthings.

Boxwood is extremely delicate because of its slow growth, and brown eyes (pores) are not visible to the naked eye. However, boxwood still grows slowly, and it is difficult to have big materials. Most of them are used for inlaying high-grade mahogany or processing into extremely fine carvings, and no large-scale works have been seen. Because of this, boxwood carvings are often mistaken for ivory by beginners. It can be said that boxwood is extremely difficult to make large pieces of furniture. If it appears, it will be a treasure.

The fragrance of boxwood is very light, very light, elegant but not gaudy, which can be described as incense and can repel mosquitoes. In addition, boxwood has the functions of sterilization, anti-inflammation and hemostasis. The mountain people who grow boxwood are used to picking boxwood leaves as hemostatic agents and placing boxwood branches to drive away mosquitoes and flies.