Plant: Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) 石斑木

Indian hawthorns (Rhaphiolepis species and hybrids) are native to East Asia and Southeast Asia. They are grown for their fragrant, pink or white crabapple-like flowers. Walking on the streets at Oceanside, I was naturally attracted by this small tree covered with pink flowers. When I approached it to take pictures, the charming floral fragrance made me want to linger and did not want to leave. The fruit is edible when cooked, and can be used to make jam. This plant also is used in Japan to make silk fabrics and in a mud dyeing technique. In China it is used to make textiles and fishing nets.
石斑木原產於東亞和東南亞。因其芬芳的粉紅色或白色海棠狀花朵而種植。走在Oceanside 的街道上,很自然地被這長滿了粉紅色花朵的小樹吸引了,走近照相時,迷人的花香更是讓人留連不想走開。果實煮熟後可食用,還可用來製作果醬。這種植物在日本也用於製造絲綢織物和泥染技術。在中國它被用來製造紡織品和漁網。

Photo Date: 2022.04.10 Location: Oceanside, California

Notes 筆記

  • Indian hawthorns (Rhaphiolepis species and hybrids) are mostly low-growing, evergreen, flowering shrubs in the family Rosaceae.
  • It is native to warm temperate and subtropical East Asia and Southeast Asia such as southern China, Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
  • Indian hawthorns are grown for their fragrant, pink or white crabapple-like flowers open in clusters in mid-April to May. It is popular in bonsai culture and it is a mainstay horticultural specimen in southern United States. Bluish-black berries appear in late summer and persist through the winter. The leathery, dark evergreen leaves are rounded and turn purplish in winter.
  • The fruit is edible when cooked, and can be used to make jam.
  • This plant also is used in Japan to make silk fabrics and in a mud dyeing technique. In China it is used to make textiles and fishing nets.
  • 石斑木大多是低矮的常綠開花灌木,屬於薔薇科。又名假厚皮香木、台灣白杏花木、白杏花木、印度石斑木、春花木、春花、雷公樹木、尖梅花。
  • 它原產於暖溫帶和亞熱帶東亞和東南亞,如中國南部、日本、老撾、柬埔寨、泰國和越南。
  • 石斑木因其芬芳的粉紅色或白色海棠狀花朵而種植,在 4 月中旬至 5 月成簇開放。它在盆景文化中很受歡迎,它也是美國南部的主要園藝標本。藍黑色的漿果出現在夏末,並持續到整個冬天。革質深色的常綠葉子是圓形的,在冬天變成紫色。
  • 果實煮熟後可食用,還可用來製作果醬。
  • 這種植物在日本也用於製造絲綢織物和泥染技術。在中國它被用來製造紡織品和漁網。

References 參考資料

Plants Posts 植物的帖子