This seemingly strange flower blooms only during typhoons! Many people have seen it but don't know it

Recently, a series of typhoons have passed through Shanghai, and the rain has been pouring down, causing great inconvenience to many people's travel...

Leaking windows

In early autumn in Shanghai, although you will be soaked by the wind and rain, there is a type of flower that is very unique. It blooms only during the typhoon season or before and after wind and rain, and it is blooming at the right time now.

It is "Higanbana" and "Hurricane Lily"

Lycoris radiata is probably the most unforgettable flower in autumn. It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is a native plant in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas of China. It likes to live in a relatively shady and humid environment.

When the summer heat subsides in early autumn, green flower stalks of Lycoris radiata that look like garlic sprouts will emerge from the bare ground, topped with a cluster of bright red flowers that look like spiders, beautiful yet a little weird.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

And nicknames such as "Higanbana" and "Manjushage" (it is said that both names originated in Japan, the former comes from the fact that its flowering period is around the autumnal equinox, and the latter is related to Buddhism, taking its bright red color as its characteristic) add a bit of mystery to it.

However, what is not well known is that because Lycoris radiata often blooms after wind and rain at the turn of summer and autumn, which is when typhoons or hurricanes frequently occur, it is also nicknamed "Hurricane Lily".

Lycoris have onion-like bulbs, and after their flowering period ends each fall, they grow dark green leek-like leaves with a light-colored stripe down the center, and spend the winter in this unremarkable state.

Lycoris bulbs (commonly known as bulbs) Source: Pacific Bulb Society

In early summer, the leaves of Lycoris radiata wither and the above-ground parts enter a dormant period. In early autumn, especially after being irrigated by rain , Lycoris radiata will seize the opportunity to pull out long flower stalks and bloom gorgeous flowers. After the flowers wither, leaves will grow from the bulbs again, completing a growth cycle.

Winter Lycoris radiata leaves

The flowers and leaves are "intertwined", it is the "Bana"

There are more than 30 species of Amaryllis, mainly distributed in the warm regions of East Asia. There are more than 20 species in China. Their flower shapes, colors and flowering periods are very diverse, but they all have the habit of blooming before growing leaves, and flowers and leaves not coexisting , as described in the previous article.

The reason why Lycoris has this seemingly strange growth habit may be to adapt to the hot and dry summer climate conditions in its native habitat when the species evolved.

A few flowers of Lycoris aurea sticking out from the bare ground. Copyright image from the library. Reproduction and use may result in copyright disputes.

The flower shapes of the Lycoris genus can be roughly divided into two categories. One type has wider tepals, and the filaments are shorter or nearly as long as the tepals, similar to lilies , such as the pure white or light pink long-tube Lycoris ( L. longituba ), the purple-red seashore Lycoris ( L. insularis ) with a little blue on the top, and the light pink deer onion ( L. squamigera ).

The lily-shaped sedge, also known as summer daffodil

Another type has narrow and curled petals, and most of the filaments are very long, some of which look like spiders. In addition to the red Lycoris, there are also the golden Chinese Lycoris ( L. chinensis ) and the sudden laughter ( L. aurea ). In addition to the native species, there are countless natural hybrids and artificially cultivated species.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

In Shanghai, the best place to appreciate Lycoris plants is the Shanghai Botanical Garden, where a large number of different species of Lycoris are planted under the Metasequoia forest. From July to October, Lycoris of various shapes and colors bloom one after another, like a fairyland, and many species are hard to see. In addition, there are also many kinds of Lycoris under the bamboo forest of Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden.

A refreshing and friendly atmosphere after the storm

If the "self-admiring" Lycoris radiata gives people a somewhat aloof feeling, then another plant belonging to the Amaryllis family that is in full bloom now seems to be much more "people-friendly". This is the Zephyranthes genus that is very common in green belts.

Zephyranthes is a type of Amaryllis plant distributed in the Americas. It has many species and horticultural varieties and is an important bulb flower . The white Zephyranthes candida and the pink Zephyranthes carinata are the main species introduced for cultivation in China. These plants are often called "wind and rain orchids" in horticulture because they often bloom in large numbers after a heavy rain.

The Zephyranthes cultivar 'Lily Pies' blooms after a heavy rain

This may be an adaptation mechanism of Zephyranthes to the environment of its origin. For example, the native environment of Zephyranthes is humid and rainy all year round, but there is a short drought in summer, so Zephyranthes may regard the heavy rain after the drought as a signal for the coming of flowering.

Allium orchid is native to the humid areas of southern South America. It is a complete outsider, but because it was introduced early and is easy to propagate through division and seeds, it has long been a common green plant. As the name suggests, the Allium orchid plant looks like a bunch of shallots, but it is not difficult to distinguish them with careful observation: the leaves of Allium orchid are solid, fleshy, dark green and shiny , while the leaves of shallots are hollow and covered with white powder .

In early autumn, the Allium orchids grow hollow flower stems and bloom with a large number of pure white star-shaped flowers. When planted in large patches, the Allium orchids in full bloom look like a blanket of white snow. This is because they can reproduce easily by producing a large number of seeds through apomixis (producing seeds that are genetically identical to the mother plant without pollination and fertilization).

However, according to the author's observation, Allium orchids are not actually very sensitive when it comes to flowering after rain. As long as autumn comes, they can bloom in large quantities and stably even without heavy rain.

Onion orchid sea

In comparison, leek orchids and some horticultural varieties are much more sensitive. They rarely bloom at normal times, but they will bloom in large numbers in a very concentrated manner after heavy rains , which is very interesting.

According to research, when a typhoon or heavy rain comes, the weather becomes hot and humid, the atmospheric pressure becomes lower, the temperature rises, and the moisture content in the air increases . The hormones in the bulbs of the thermo-sensitive plant Allium orchid, which sense the "flowering signal", will prompt the rapid formation of flower buds and a large number of flowering.

Leek after the rain. Copyright image. Reprinting may cause copyright disputes.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Amaryllis family, to which Lycoris belongs, is famous for producing seasoning vegetables ( Allium genus) such as onions, garlic, leeks , and common bulbous and perennial flowers such as Narcissus , Clivia , and Ipheion .

In addition to Allium, the bulbs of Amaryllis plants generally contain a variety of alkaloids , which have certain medicinal value. However, as the saying goes, "All medicines are poisonous to the point of poison", please do not consume them without following the doctor's advice!

References

[1] Cai Yunpeng, Zhou Xiangyu, Zhang Xianquan. A new flower of the rain-blooming flower: yellow-flowered allium orchid[J]. Gardening, 2015, (07): 74-75.

Planning and production

Source: Shanghai Natural History Museum (ID: snhm01)

Author: Zhou Mingwei, a graduate student in biology at Shanghai Ocean University

Review丨Zhang Pengchong, Senior Engineer, Hangzhou Botanical Garden

Shou Haiyang Senior Engineer, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin