To be exact, they are 芍藥!!
Due to there are no 芍藥 in HK, flower farmer called Dahlia(大麗花) as 芍藥 in the old days.
Hence, when the cut flower 芍藥 come over from Holland about 20 years ago, flower farmers called them 牡丹 since they are very similar, the 芍藥 name is taken by Dahlia(大麗花) and they can charge a higher price if called 牡丹.
Now in Europe & America, Peony is usually referred as 芍藥, 牡丹 is called Tree Peony. This is the same in China before Tang Dynasty, 牡丹 was called as 木芍藥(Tree Peony)
If you go outside Canton province, people usually can tell what is 芍藥 what is 牡丹 & what is Dahlia. Now in HK, 習非成事, Peony & Tree Peony are 牡丹 , Dahlia(大麗花) is 芍藥 .
Please refer to the following article by 國立自然科學博物館 for more information:
http://www.nmns.edu.tw/nmns/activity/news/960329.htm
您能分辨牡丹跟芍藥嗎?牡丹與芍藥就像孿生姐妹,都是毛茛科芍藥屬(Paeonia L.)的多年生植物,外型相似、容易混淆。但牡丹是木本、芍藥為草本,都是耐寒的多年生落葉植物。
簡單來說,牡丹在落葉期還可看到地面上的枝條;而芍藥在落葉期時地上部分幾乎消失。兩者花朵構造也略有不同,牡丹花的心皮外圈基部有明顯可見的膜質或革質構造,甚至將心皮全部包覆,稱為花盤;而芍藥的花盤構造不明顯,或無花盤。
牡丹花色包括粉紅、暗紫、紫、深紅、乳白及淡綠,而以紅、白兩色最常見。花瓣型態多樣,包括單瓣、複瓣與重瓣,花謝後會結成蓇葖果。台灣由於地理緯度與氣候關係,無法普遍種植牡丹,目前只有阿里山、杉林溪、清境農場及武陵農場等地,才有小規模栽培。
芍藥株莖高約60~90公分,葉子呈狹長的卵形或橢圓形;也有單瓣和複瓣,花色大多為白或紅,花謝後會結3~5個蓇葖果。芍藥名氣雖不如牡丹,但也是重要的觀賞花卉,花型繁多、色彩豔麗。
植物園的牡丹芍藥特展將於3/30至4/22在特展室展出,美艷群芳,錯過可惜。 |