What is this thing in the grass that looks like leek?

In the green belts of many cities, you can often see these tenacious little grasses that look like leeks. They are cold-resistant and drought-resistant, evergreen all year round, with beautiful flowers and fruits. They have an unshakable king status in the green belts - they are Ophiopogon japonicus .

Ophiopogon japonicus in Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden｜blog.fc2.com

The three pillars are "Ophiopogon japonicus"

In fact, the term "Ophiopogon japonicus" is used in urban lawns. The three most common species are Ophiopogon japonicus, O. bodinieri and Liriope spicata. These species are very similar in appearance, and the easiest way to distinguish them is to look at the flowers .

First, let's look at the shape of the inflorescence. Ophiopogon japonicus belongs to the genus Ophiopogon japonicus in the Asparagaceae family. The inflorescence of this genus is upright and the flowers also bloom upwards . The real Ophiopogon japonicus and Ophiopogonis japonicus both belong to the genus Ophiopogonis in the Asparagaceae family. Their inflorescences are curved and the flowers also droop .

The flowers of Liriope japonicus stand upright｜Amada44 / wikimedia

As for the difference between Ophiopogon japonicus and Ophiopogon japonicus, it is mainly reflected in the "temperament" when blooming. Ophiopogon japonicus looks more reserved, with a short inflorescence, huddled in the clustered leaves, and most of the six tepals are not fully open , but huddled with their heads down. Ophiopogon japonicus looks more unrestrained, with a taller inflorescence. Although each flower is also huddled, the tepals are fully open , as big as they can be, as if they are afraid that others will not know that it has bloomed.

The flowers of Ophiopogon japonicus are drooping and most of them are not fully opened｜e-yakusou.com

The flowers of the sedge droop and spread out｜kyutubebio.sci.kyoto-u.ac.jp

The flowers of these types of Ophiopogon japonicus are all white with purple halos, and they bloom in clusters on the lawn in summer. Many people mistake them for orchids. Some varieties have dark purple flowers, and when they bloom densely, they are mistaken for lavender.

This "broad-leaved golden-edged lily" (above) is somewhat similar to lavender, but it is actually Liriope spicata; the picture below is the inflorescence of narrow-leaved lavender｜taylorlandscapingky.com; JLPC / wikimedia

In autumn, you can see the brightly colored fruits of Ophiopogon japonicus, like strings of blue gems, which are particularly eye-catching.

Fruits of Ophiopogon japonicus｜Alpsdake / wikimedia

There is no magical effect

Although it looks like a deadly poison, the fruit of Ophiopogon japonicus is not poisonous, but it is not delicious . I don't recommend you to try it, because the fruit of Dianella ensifolia is also similar in blue, which can be easily confused with Ophiopogon japonicus and is very poisonous.

Fruits of the mountain orchid｜anniesannuals.com

The edible part of Ophiopogon japonicus is the enlarged underground rhizome . The ancients regarded it as a superior tonic, believing that eating it could prolong life. Many people who seek immortality and Taoism dig Ophiopogon japonicus to eat every day.

Actually, it can't be said that this is completely superstition. The root of Ophiopogon japonicus is rich in starch, sucrose and cellulose , which is a good food for practitioners who cannot afford three meals a day. If there is no Ophiopogon japonicus, they may have starved to death. It can prolong life. For modern people, Ophiopogon japonicus is at most a coarse grain. At first glance, it is indeed healthier than refined carbohydrates such as rice and white flour. There is no harm in eating it, but don't expect it to have any magical effects.

Ophiopogon japonicus root｜ishamachi.com

In addition to Ophiopogon japonicus, there are also these flowers and plants

Besides Ophiopogon japonicus, what other common flowers and plants are there in green belts?

Red

The master of the red atmosphere - a clary holly. Thousands of them gathered together, like blazing fireworks in the green, it can be said that wherever there is a happy event, there is a clary holly.

Salvia splendens is a perennial herb or shrub of the genus Salvia in the family Lamiaceae. Salvia is derived from the Latin word salvare, which means healing, because plants of the genus Salvia were used to make herbs and essential oils in the ancient Mediterranean area, rather than as ornamental plants.

Many people must have sucked the honeydew of red sage when they were young! ｜Andrew Butko / wikimedia

The inflorescence of impatiens can be more than 20 cm high . The flowers are bell-shaped or firecracker-shaped, and are arranged in a whorl on the inflorescence, so impatiens has another cute nickname, firecracker flower.

Portulaca grandiflora

In summer, all the other flowers and plants in the green belt wilt, but one flower stands out. The hotter the sun, the more it blooms. This flower is often called the sunflower.

Sunflower is not a sunflower, but refers specifically to plants of the genus Portulaca, the main member of which is Portulaca grandiflora .

The "immortal" flower - Portulaca grandiflora | Calendar Girl

Portulaca grandiflora from South America is very drought-resistant . Just looking at the name, it seems to be no different from Portulaca oleracea, but in fact they are still different. For example, its leaves are pine needle-shaped, which is more conducive to reducing water loss , rather than horse tooth-shaped broad leaves, which means it has stronger drought resistance.

Bright red purslane｜Andrew Butko / wikimedia

The plant of Portulaca grandiflora is not very tall, only about 30 cm, and its branches grow horizontally and expand toward the periphery, so that a larger area can enjoy the favor of the sun . Of course, its flowers are indeed larger than those of Portulaca grandiflora, and as an ornamental flower, it is also more beautiful after being selected and bred.

Hemerocallis

Daylily (Hemerocallis Fulva) is a perennial herb. Its genus name is composed of hemeros (daytime) and kallis (beautiful), indicating that the flowering period is very short and it only blooms during the day. The specific epithet Fulva means yellow hue, and the flower shape resembles a lily, hence the name Day lily, which means " one-day lily ".

Daylilies blocking the road in the green belt｜Jiujian/flickr

Daylilies were originally used to express longing for the husband. Since the Tang Dynasty, when Bian Rong wrote "Sending Xu Hao", daylilies were associated with mothers. "Knowing that you are leaving, your love is too strong. The cypress and chrysanthemums in the hall are covered with snow." "Chun" and "Xuan" are used together, with cypress representing the father and chrysanthemum representing the mother. Meng Jiao's "The Wanderer" has the following lines: "Daylilys grow on the steps of the hall, and the wanderer travels to the ends of the earth. The loving mother leans against the door of the hall, and no daylilies are seen." This directly evolved the meaning of "looking at the chrysanthemums and thinking of the husband" into the culture of "planting chrysanthemums to show filial piety to the mother."

Giving daylilies to mom on Mother's Day is rich in traditional culture｜Bai Miao

The most common plant called daylily is not only the daylily Hemerocallis Fulva in the green belt, but also the daylily Hemerocallis citrina, also known as lemon daylily, which is popular on the table. Because the ancients had a broader concept of daylily, the so-called edible daylily is the daylily , which is commonly known as golden needle flower. Daylily has a long history of cultivation in China, and the part we eat is its buds that are about to open.

Day lilies are mostly sold as dried goods in the market and need to be soaked before cooking｜Bai Miao

What do green belts look like in your city?

Some are breathtakingly beautiful, such as the jacaranda trees blooming all over the streets of Kunming.

The jacaranda trees on Kunming streets in mid-April. It’s hard to tell whether the streets or the flowers are more crowded. | Zhou Fang

The yellow bell tree, a street tree species in many streets of Chengdu, makes the whole street full of color.

Yellow bell tree on Jiangxi Street｜Miaomiao Plant Control

Roses are extremely delicate when kept at home, but they can still compete for beauty in Beijing's green belts while absorbing car exhaust.

Spring and Summer in the Green Belt｜Maimai

Large areas of peonies are in full bloom in Luoyang.

Looks rich | Flip

Of course, there are some magical green belts that are unforgettable at first sight! For example, kale in the green belt.

Don’t eat kale from the green belt! | Weifang Media

When spring comes, poplar and willow trees in Beijing are covered with catkins...

No one would disbelieve it if it was said to be a heavy snow, right? ｜@北京西门大官人/weibo

And the embarrassing heather...

Photinia fraseri, a roadside tree in Wuhan｜wuhan.gov.cn

Author: Desert Porcupine, Attack of Succulents, Bai Miao, Ye Zhengrong, Ran Hao

Editor: Calendar Girl, Little Towel

Title image source: blog.fc2.com

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