Haitang's profile

Answer 1

Begonia was a perennially growing tree (also known as a small tree) of the Rosaceae Malus. It was also known as Begonia Flower and Japanese Begonia. It was native to North China and the Yangtze River basin. Later, it was introduced and cultivated in Europe. It was especially common in North China and East China. It was mostly grown in mountainous areas and plains with an altitude of 50 - 2000 meters. Begonia was fond of sunlight, not resistant to shade, and had strong resistance to cold and drought. It did not have high requirements for soil, but it was most suitable to grow in slightly acidic soil with deep and fertile soil, good drainage, and a pH value of 5.5 - 7.0. Tall to 8 m; twigs stout, cylindrical, pubescent when young, reddish-brown or purple-brown when old. Leaves oval to long oval, apex short acuminate or obtuse, base wide cuneiform or nearly round, margin closely serrulate. Inflorescence subumbrella-shaped, with 4 - 6 flowers; bracts membrane, lanceolate-shaped; calyx tube outside glabrous or with white hairs; Sepals triangular-ovate, apex acute, entire; Petals ovate, base with short claws, white, pink in bud. The fruit is nearly spherical, yellow, with persistent Sepals, the base not sunken, and the peduncle raised. Flowering period: April to May, fruiting period: August to September.

The crabapple tree had a variety of tree types, luxuriant leaves and flowers, and beautiful colors. It could be used as an ornamental plant in the garden. It could also be dug out from the old stump of the crabapple tree to make potted plants or flower arrangements. Its heartwood was reddish-gray, hard, not easy to crack, easy to dye and polish, and could be used to make furniture, mallet, umbrella handle and other industrial products, as well as fuel. In addition, crabapple contained a variety of nutrients. The fruit could be eaten fresh and could also be processed into candied fruit, preserved fruit, and other foods. It was one of the famous ornamental flowers and trees in China, and had long been praised as "famous flower" and "national beauty". It had a long history of cultivation in China and was recorded in historical materials and poems of past dynasties. For example, Jia Dan, a botanist of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a "Flower Manual." Song Zhenzong, the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo, the poet of the Yuan Dynasty, Ouyang Xuan, etc. all had poems praising the begonia.

It should be noted that there were also iron begonias (creeping shrubs of the euphorbians) and potted begonias (perennials of the begonias of the begonias family, mostly referred to as begonias of the four seasons, begonias of bamboo joints, etc.). Although they were all called "begonias", they were different from the above-mentioned begonias in terms of plant classification.