If you’ve ever seen a spiky plant standing proudly in a dry landscape, there’s a good chance it was a yucca. Yuccas are native to much of North America—from Mexico all the way up into Canada—and come in all shapes and sizes, from small shrubs to the towering Joshua tree. They’re tough plants built for dry places, with sharp-tipped leaves and big clusters of creamy white flowers.
What I love about yuccas is how surprisingly useful they are. People have eaten their flower petals for generations, and many Indigenous communities used the strong fibers to make things like baskets, mats, and sandals. Even the roots can be turned into natural soap. Today, yucca extracts show up in everything from sodas to cosmetics, and the plants themselves are popular in gardens because they’re hardy and dramatic-looking.
如果你曾在乾燥的土地上見過挺拔的帶刺植物，那它很可能就是絲蘭。絲蘭原產於北美大部分地區——從墨西哥一直延伸到加拿大——它們形態各異，大小不一，從矮小的灌木到高聳的約書亞樹都有。絲蘭是耐旱植物，葉片尖銳，開著簇狀乳白色的花。
我喜歡絲蘭的原因在於它出乎意料的用途之廣。人們食用絲蘭花瓣已有數代之久，許多原住民部落也用絲蘭堅韌的纖維製作籃子、墊子和涼鞋等物品。就連絲蘭根也能製成天然肥皂。如今，絲蘭萃取物出現在從汽水到化妝品等各種產品中，而絲蘭本身也因其耐寒性和引人注目的外觀而成為花園中常見的植物。
Notes 筆記
- Yucca is a genus of perennial plants native to North America, ranging from the Yucatán and Guatemala through the southwestern and southeastern United States and into southern Canada. It contains roughly 40–50 accepted species [the exact number varies by authority; “about 50” is acceptable]. In addition to “yucca,” common names include Adam’s needle, Spanish bayonet, and Spanish dagger, though these refer primarily to specific species rather than the entire genus.
- The species range from small, shrubby plants to tree-like giants, such as the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). All yuccas bear rosettes of stiff leaves that taper to sharp points and produce tall inflorescences with numerous flowers, typically cream-white and thick-petaled. Although adapted to a variety of climates, yuccas are xerophytes, plants specialized for dry conditions.
- The flowers are large and showy, varying from bell-shaped to nearly spherical. They have six tepals, usually white to cream or slightly green. The tepals are thick and leathery, and in many species the three outer ones may have red, pink, maroon, purple, or brown streaks.
- In roughly half of the species, the fruit is a dry, dehiscent capsule, while in the others it forms a fleshy, indehiscent berry. The seeds inside are tightly packed, flat, and black. Dry capsules are held upright, while fleshy fruits typically droop.
- Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens and landscaping. They have long provided food and fiber for humans. Flower petals of several species are eaten in regional cuisines, especially in Mexico and Central America. Historically, yucca fibers were extensively used to make cords, baskets, mats, sandals, and other household items, and the plant continues to be used by Indigenous peoples for traditional soaps.
- The roots (often called “rhizomes”) of species such as soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) and Mojave yucca (Y. schidigera) have been used to produce soaps, shampoos, and detergents, though this is less common today. The leaves are still used in parts of the southwestern United States for weaving trays and baskets.
- Yucca schidigera extract is used as a foaming agent in some beverages, including certain root beers and sodas. Yucca powder may be produced by pressing harvested stems to obtain sap, which is then evaporated; it is used in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and as an additive in animal feed.
- Altogether, yuccas have a wide range of uses—from fibers to food. Traditional applications include fishing nets, paintbrushes, combs, sandals, mats, blankets, sewing materials, and cleansing products.
- 絲蘭屬是北美洲特有的多年生植物，分佈範圍從尤卡坦半島和瓜地馬拉經美國西南部和東南部延伸至加拿大南部。本屬包含約 40-50 個公認的物種（具體數量因權威機構而異；「約50個」的說法較為普遍）。除了「絲蘭」之外，其俗名還包括亞當的針、西班牙刺刀和西班牙匕首，但這些名稱主要指涉特定物種，而非整個屬。
- 絲蘭屬植物種類繁多，從小型灌木到喬木狀的巨型植物，例如約書亞樹（Yucca brevifolia）。所有絲蘭都長有蓮座狀的硬葉，葉片末端尖銳，並開出高大的花序，花序上簇生著許多花朵，通常呈乳白色，花瓣厚實。儘管絲蘭能夠適應多種氣候，但它們是旱生植物，即專門適應乾燥環境的植物。
- 花碩大艷麗，形狀從鐘形到近球形不等。花有六枚花被片，通常為白色、乳白色或略帶綠色。花被片厚實革質，許多品種的外三枚花被片可能帶有紅色、粉紅色、褐紅色、紫色或棕色的條紋。
- 大約一半的物種所結出的果實是乾燥的、會開裂的蒴果，而其餘物種則結出的果實是肉質的、不開裂的漿果。果內的種子緊密排列，扁平且呈黑色。乾燥的蒴果直立，而肉質的果實通常下垂。
- 絲蘭作為觀賞植物廣泛種植於花園和景觀中。長期以來，它們也為人類提供食物和纖維。一些品種的花瓣在當地美食中被食用，尤其是在墨西哥和中美洲。歷史上，絲蘭纖維被廣泛用於製作繩索、籃子、墊子、涼鞋和其他家居用品，如今，原住民仍然用絲蘭製作傳統肥皂。
- 絲蘭屬植物（如皂樹絲蘭（Yucca elata）和莫哈維絲蘭（Y. schidigera））的根（通常被稱為「根莖」）曾被用於生產肥皂、洗髮精和洗滌劑，儘管如今這種做法已不常見。在美國西南部的一些地區，人們仍然使用它們的葉子來編織托盤和籃子。
- 絲蘭萃取物可用作某些飲料（包括某些沙士汽水和蘇打水）的起泡劑。絲蘭粉可透過壓榨收穫的莖稈提取汁液，然後蒸發製成；它可用於食品、化妝品、藥品以及作為動物飼料添加劑。
- 總而言之，絲蘭用途廣泛，從纖維到食物皆可利用。傳統用途包括製作漁網、畫筆、梳子、涼鞋、墊子、毯子、縫紉材料和清潔用品。
Other Related Posts 其他相關的帖子
- Plant: Beaked yucca (Yucca Thompsoniana)
- Plant: Large-flowered Yucca (Yucca Grandiflora)
- Plant: Soapweed yucca (Yucca Glauca)
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Yucca
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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