Recently, I saw someone share this plant called "Asoka tree" in a post. It is one of the sacred trees of Buddhism. It is said that the Buddha was born under the Asoka tree. I remember visiting a meditation center in Chiang Mai, Thailand this year. There were several trees of this kind in front of the center, and the flowers were very beautiful. When looking for its English name, I found Saraca indica and Saraca asoca popped up. They are similar but different species of plants. After some research, I think the plant in the photo should be Saraca indica because it is located further east. It is prized for its large clusters of brightly colored flowers.
最近在一個社團看到有人分享這種名叫【無憂樹】的植物，它是佛教的聖樹之一，據說佛陀在無憂樹下誕生，所以無憂樹又稱為佛誕樹。我想起今年去泰國清邁的一個禪修中心，它前面有幾棵這種樹，花非常漂亮。在尋找它的英文名稱，發現有 Saraca indica 或 Saraca asoca 之名，它們類似，但卻是不同種的植物。經過一番查詢，我覺得照片中的植物應該是 Saraca indica， 因為它的地理位置比較靠東。它因其大簇鮮豔花朵而備受珍視。
Notes 筆記
- Saraca indica, commonly known as the asoka tree, ashok, sorrowless tree and gapis, is a plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. The name S. indica has been generally incorrectly applied to S. asoca since 1869. It can be distinguished from S. asoca by its non-clasping bracteoles, a lower number of ovules, slightly smaller pods, and a more eastern geographic distribution.
- Asoka Tree is a tree prized for its large clusters of vibrant flowers. The colours of the flowers vary widely, ranging from orange-yellow to red. Found naturally in rainforests along streams and rivers, it thrives in cultivation when grown under full sunlight and fertile, well-drained soil.
- 無憂樹，俗稱阿育王樹、ashok, 無憂樹, 印度無憂樹，是一種豆科植物。自 1869 年以來，S. indica 這個名稱一直被錯誤地應用於 S. asoca。 它與 S. asoca 的區別在於，前者有不抱合的苞片，胚珠數量較少，豆莢略小，地理分佈更靠東。
- 無憂樹是一種因其大簇鮮豔花朵而備受珍視的樹。花朵的顏色多種多樣，從橙黃色到紅色。它自然生長在溪流和河流沿岸的雨林中，在充足的陽光和肥沃、排水良好的土壤下生長得很好。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Saraca indica
- Singapore National Park Flora & Fauna Web: Saraca indica L.
- 認識植物: 無憂樹
Plants Posts 植物的帖子