A list of plants that are mispronounced | Ficus microcarpa VS Coriander: The name is very "high-end", but the appearance is very ordinary!

The Chinese names of plants are like refined codes, containing rich information such as their origin and morphological characteristics, without lengthy descriptions in biological terms. However, given the profound heritage and long history of Chinese characters, plant names have undergone many changes over the long years.

To this end, Tadpole Music specially invited Mr. Wei Deyong from the Shenzhen Writers Association to conduct an in-depth analysis of those common but easily mispronounced or misread plant names from multiple dimensions such as their naming origins, biological characteristics, and historical evolution.

Among the many plants in the plant kingdom, there is a unique group of plants: their names sound quite "elegant", but their actual shapes are quite ordinary.

These plants can be divided into two camps: one is familiar to us, with names that are easy to read and remember, such as grapes and sycamores; the other is lesser-known, so obscure that they are even difficult to pronounce accurately, such as fig and coriander.

Although the names of these plants are not common in daily communication, they are integrated into our lives in a subtle way. Perhaps you have seen them in a corner at some inadvertent moment. Or perhaps they appear in another more popular name during your learning journey.

When these "aliases" are mentioned, many people often suddenly realize and exclaim, "Oh, so that's it."

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Ficus microcarpa: originally grown in Lu Xun's Baicao Garden

"The Polygonum multiflorum vine and the Magnolia vine are intertwined. The Magnolia has lotus-like fruits, and the Polygonum multiflorum has bloated roots." This passage is from the essay "From the Baicao Garden to Sanwei Bookstore" by the famous writer Lu Xun.

The article has long been selected into junior high school textbooks and has become a classic that students are familiar with. The "wood lotus vine" mentioned in it is actually a vine plant similar to creeper, named because its fruit is shaped like a lotus pod.

The lotus-shaped Magnolia vine fruit

The common name of Magnolia vine contains many interesting nicknames. Because the achenes in the inflorescence can be processed into edible jelly, it is also called jelly seed and jelly fruit; and when the fruit is ripe, the round and plump appearance reminds people of steamed buns, so it is also nicknamed wooden steamed buns; its strong climbing ability allows it to easily climb walls, so it has become another common name.

The real scientific name of Manglietia oleifera is Bìli , a name with profound cultural connotations. In the long history of Chinese literature, Er Ya, as the first dictionary to systematically explain the meaning of words, once explained the word "Bìli" as the scientific name of the Chinese medicine Angelica sinensis or Hemp, reflecting the ancients' profound insight into the connection between plants and medicinal materials.

As the first dictionary, Shuowen Jiezi more directly explains "薜" as the abbreviation of 薜荔, also known as "牡赞", further clarifying the exclusive relationship between the character "薜" and 薜荔.

The small seal script writing method of "薜" in "Shuowen Jiezi"

Since the Han Dynasty, the word "Xie" has gradually become fixed and is used specifically to refer to the plant Xili. This tradition has continued to this day, making "Xieli" a name widely recognized and used by people.

In literary works, the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan's "Dense rain slants against the wall of litchi" and the modern poet Dai Wangshu's "The earthen wall is the home of litchi" have cleverly used the image of "litchi" to vividly describe the growth state of litchi in the natural environment and the freshness and elegance it brings to people. These poems not only show the vivid image of litchi, but also provide us with a literary perspective to feel its unique charm.

From the perspective of plant taxonomy, Ficus microcarpa belongs to the genus Ficus in the Moraceae family. It often grows on broken walls, stone bridges, garden fences and large trees in villages, and especially prefers to climb on cypress, maple, poplar, fir and other trees.

As a neutral plant, Ficus Ficus has certain requirements for light conditions and is afraid of direct sunlight, but it is drought-resistant, barren-resistant, and cold-resistant, and is not strict about soil requirements, showing strong adaptability. Similar to other members of the Ficus family, the flowers of Ficus Ficus are also cryptic, and the flowers are cleverly hidden in the receptacle.

Yuhang Stone Bridge covered with Ficus microcarpa

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Coriander: A seasoning introduced from abroad

On the daily dining table, seemingly ordinary coriander contains rich functions and meanings. When it is lightly sprinkled on the steaming hot pickled fish, it can not only effectively neutralize the fishy smell of the fish, but also give the dish a touch of freshness and appetizing flavor, as if instantly awakening the dormant taste buds.

What’s even more amazing is that the active ingredients in coriander can promote gastrointestinal motility, help stimulate the appetite and wake up the spleen, making the post-meal time more comfortable.

Coriander is a name that is particularly common in Sichuan, Guizhou, Shanxi and other places. Its official scientific name is yansui. The word "yan" can be traced back to ancient times and was originally pronounced "yuán". It refers to the plant yanhua of the genus Daphne in the family Thymelaeaceae, which is famous for its beautiful purple flowers and strong ability to poison fish.

Since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the word "芫" has been pronounced as "yán" and is used exclusively to refer to what we know as 芫荽 today. "荽" is a transliteration of the word "gosniz" in Old Persian, reflecting the identity of 芫荽 as an alien species.

Coriander is the common cilantro

Coriander is native to the Mediterranean region, the warm area where Europe, Africa and Asia meet. During the Western Han Dynasty, the famous explorer Zhang Qian brought this new plant back to the Central Plains during his trip to the Western Regions, and people at that time called it "coriander".

As time went by, coriander gradually became a regular on the dining table during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and its unique flavor won people's love.

The Jin Dynasty poet Pan An praised the deliciousness of cilantro in his poem "the sweet taste of violets and the fragrance of coriander", which shows its status in the food culture at that time. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, cilantro was renamed "coriander" and became popular in thousands of households, becoming an indispensable condiment.

Coriander adds a fresh and appetizing flavor to dishes

Coriander not only has a place in food culture, it also played a role as a symbol of status in ancient society. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, officials' belts have been decorated with various patterns, including coriander.

According to the "History of the Song Dynasty: Records of Vehicles and Clothing", patterns such as golden lychee, Shiman, and coriander represented the ranks of different officials, while coriander was the symbol of the lowest-ranking officials. This tradition reflected the general recognition and acceptance of coriander in society at that time.

From the perspective of nutritional value, coriander should not be underestimated. It is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C, which have a positive effect on promoting bone health, enhancing immunity, removing free radicals in the body and reducing cell damage. Therefore, eating coriander in moderation can not only improve the taste of food, but also bring many benefits to the body.

It is worth mentioning that there is a plant in nature that looks similar to coriander and tastes similar to coriander - false coriander, also known as heavenly coriander.

Although its stems and leaves look similar to cilantro, its fruit takes on a unique shape when ripe, resembling a melon, hence the name. Cilantro belongs to the genus Cilantro in the family Solanaceae. There are more than ten different species in this genus, among which Chinese Cilantro and South American Cilantro are more common.

In addition to being eaten as a wild vegetable, cilantro is also a good Chinese medicinal material with multiple medicinal values. In southern my country, the She ethnic group regards cilantro as a precious health-preserving ingredient and affectionately calls it "stomach-nourishing grass", reflecting its unique status in folk medicine and food culture.

False coriander

Whether as a condiment or a medicinal ingredient, coriander plays an important role in human life. It not only enriches our dining table, but also protects our health with its unique nutritional value and medicinal value.

References

1. "Research Progress on Medicinal Plant Ficus Ficus Carica", by Li Yingying, Wang Zhunian, Yan Xiaoxia, "Modern Agricultural Science and Technology", 2020, No. 19

2. "Overview and Research Progress of Ficus Ficus microcarpa", by Tang Cui'e, Liang Ruihong, etc., Agricultural Products Processing (Journal) 2007, No. 02

3. "Analysis and Stability of Coriander Fragrance Components", author Liu Xiangrong, "Central South University of Forestry and Technology", Issue 2, 2013

Author: Wei Deyong

Member of Guangdong Shenzhen Writers Association

Editor: Dong Xiaoxian

Reviewer: Zhang Chao, Li Peiyuan