Scientific name: Camellia japonica
Alternative names: camellia, camellia, datura tree, late camellia, winter-resistant, hawthorn, foreign tea, Yauchun, mountain toon
Family and genus: There are about 220 species of plants in the Camellia family and the genus Camellia. Among them, camellia, Yunnan camellia, camellia sasanqua, and golden camellia discovered in my country in recent years are all important ornamental flowers and trees.
Camellia is an evergreen flower and tree that blooms in winter and spring. The flowers are graceful in appearance and bright in color. Comrade Guo Moruo praised highly: "A camellia tree turns pink early in the morning, and a hundred blooming clouds roar proudly." Regarding Yunnan Camellia Guo Lao Ye once wrote a poem to praise: "Yan said that camellia is a provincial flower, but now we can see the clouds all over the city; everyone says peonies are good, but I think peonies are not as good as tea."
Camellia originated in my country. Wild camellias are distributed under the jungles of mountain valleys in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Sichuan, as well as in flooded mountains and coastal islands in Shandong Province. There are also patches of wild camellias distributed in Ningbo and Siming Mountains in Zhejiang Province. In Keyan, 380 meters above sea level south of Huacheng Cave Baoyan in Daluoshan, Ruian County, Wenzhou, southern Zhejiang Province, there are ancient camellia trees that are more than 1,200 years old. Lichuan County in Jiangxi Province and Momeishan in Sichuan Province have natural distribution of ancient tea trees that have grown into wild forests for more than 1,000 years.
Camellia cultivation distribution, open field cultivation areas are mainly in the Yangtze River Basin. In our country, except for some areas in the northeast, northwest, and north China that are not suitable for planting due to the severe cold climate, it is almost planted in gardens all over the country. However, large areas of open field cultivation are mostly found in Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui provinces. Yunnan camellia is a specialty of Yunnan, originating from Tengchong in southwest Yunnan. It is widely cultivated in open fields in Yunnan Province. After liberation, it was introduced and cultivated in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other places, but it was mostly cultivated in greenhouses. In 1824, Yunnan camellia was first introduced to Europe. Most golden camellias are native to Guangxi, my country. There are only 4 species in northern Vietnam, and they have also been discovered in Yunnan recently.
Camellia is an evergreen broad-leaved shrub or small tree. The branches are yellow-brown, and the branchlets are green or green-purple to purple-brown. The leaves are leathery, alternate, elliptical, oblong, ovate to obovate, 4 to 10 cm long, apex acuminate or acute, base wedge-shaped to nearly semicircular, with serrated edges, the front side of the leaves is dark green, most of them have Glossy, thicker on the back, smooth and hairless leaves, thick and short petioles, pubescent or hairless. The flowers are bisexual, often solitary or 2-3 borne on the top of the stem or between the leaf axils. The pedicel is very short or inconspicuous, with 9-1 bracts, arranged in imbricate shape, and covered with hairs. The flowers are single, with 5-7 petals arranged in 1-2 whorls of imbricate shape. The flower is 5-6 cm in diameter and bright red in color. The petals have concave or notched apex, and the base is connected into a simple shape; the stamens are well developed and numerous. There are more than 100 filaments, with white or reddish filaments. The base is connected to form a tube, and the center of the flower is gathered. The anthers are golden yellow; the pistils develop normally, the ovary is smooth and hairless, 3-4 cells, the style is single, the stigma is 3-5 lobed, and the seed setting rate is good. high. The fruit is round in shape and has an essential shell. The mature fruit can naturally split from the back seam and release the seeds. The seeds are light brown or dark brown, nearly spherical or polygonal in shape, with flat surfaces and edges. The seed coat is horny and hard. The seeds are rich in oil and the cotyledons are thick.
The leaves of Yunnan camellia are larger than those of camellia, 6-14 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, and the leaf edges have sharp serrations. The flowers are larger than those of camellia, with a diameter of 8-16 cm, sometimes up to 22 cm; the ovary has 3-5 cells, densely covered with silky hairs. The fruit is flat and spherical, with hairs on the surface. Golden camellia is a small tree, 2-6 meters high, with thin leathery leaves, oblong leaves, with small bony serrations or lathe serrations on the edges, smooth on both sides, and sometimes hairy. Petals 7-8, up to 17 in number, golden to light yellow, with waxy luster, flower diameter 3-5.5 cm; ovary with more than 3 cells, hairless or hairy. Capsule oblate or nearly spherical.
In addition to the original species of camellia, there are many horticultural varieties. There are more than 5,000 camellia varieties in the world today. There are about 300 varieties of camellia in my country, and they are currently being sorted out and studied. According to the petalization of stamens, the natural increase of petals, the evolution of stamens, and the petalization of sepals, they are roughly divided into 3 categories and 12 flower types:
1. Single-petaled flowers are arranged in 1-2 rounds. ． 5-7 pieces, continuous at the base, mostly cylindrical. The female and stamens are fully developed and can bear fruit.
(1) Single-valve type: Characteristics are as above.
2. Semi-double flowers are arranged in 3-5 whorls, with about 20 petals, and as many as 50 petals (including petals with stamens).
(1) Semi-double type: the petals are arranged in 2-4 whorls, the small petals of stamens and most of the stamens are concentrated in the center of the flower, and most of the stamens tend to degenerate and occasionally become strong. Such as 'White Cotton Ball', 'Scarlet Peony', etc.
(2) Five-star shape: The petals are arranged in 2-3 whorls, the corolla is five-star-shaped, the stamens are present, and the d8 stamens tend to degenerate. Such as 'Oriental tea, etc.'
(3) Lotus type: The petals are arranged in 3-4 whorls, the corolla is lotus type, the pistils are present, and the pistils tend to degenerate or occasionally exist. 'Shiyangjing' and 'Tiger Claw White' are representative species.
(4) Pine cone type: The petals are arranged in 3-5 rounds, in the shape of a pine cone, and both female and vitiligo are present. 64. Pine nuts, and 'Big Pine Nut' are representative species.
3. Double-petal type Most of the flowers have stamens, and the petals naturally increase, with the number of petals exceeding 50 (including stamens).
(1) Cuisine type: The petals are arranged in one round, and the well-developed stamen petals are gathered in the center of the flower, forming a small ball of about 3 cm. 'Jinpan Litchi' and 'Bai Baozhu' are representative species.
(2) Chrysanthemum type: The petals are arranged in 3-4 rounds, with a few stamens and small petals gathered in the center of the flower, about 1-2 cm in diameter, forming a chrysanthemum-shaped corolla. , Pomegranate Red', 'Fengxian', etc. are representative species.
(3) Hibiscus type: The petals are arranged in 2-4 rounds, and the stamens are concentrated in the stamen petals near the center of the flower, or scattered in several combinations of stamens, forming a mess. Rong type corolla. 'Hongwurong' and 'Huabaozhu' are representative species.
(4) Crown type: The petals are arranged in 1-2 rounds, a large number of stamens are gathered on it, and there are several large stamen petals in the middle, forming a crown-shaped corolla, 'Flower Buddha Tripod', 'Ti Ti' Cage' and so on are representative species.
(5) Hydrangea type: The arrangement of petals is not obvious, and there is no obvious difference in the shape of petals and stamen foils. A small number of stamens are scattered among the stamen petals, forming a hydrangea-type corolla. Representative varieties include 'Dahongqiu', 'Qixinhong', etc.
(6) Radial type: The flowers are arranged in 6-8 rounds, radially, and often hexagonal. The female and stamens no longer exist. 'Fendan', 'Hexagonal White', 'Fenxia', etc. are representative varieties.
(7) Rose mushroom type: the flowers are arranged in 8-9 whorls, with several layers, and the female and stamens no longer exist. There are more than 20 varieties, including 64, Taohong', 'Ziluzilian', and 'Xueta'.
Famous varieties include: Yingrong-type 'Lvzhuqiu', 'Snow Peony', 'Crown', 'Hua Yingrong', etc.; radial-type 'Yuanyangfengguan', etc.; crown-type ' "Flower Buddha Tripod", etc.; rose-shaped "Huahe Ling", etc.; lotus-type "Pink Shiyangjing", "White Shiyangjing", etc.; laurel-type "Sprinkled Gold Pearl", etc.; semi-double-petal type 'Bai Mianqiu', etc.; chrysanthemum-shaped 'Fengxian', etc.; there are more than 20 varieties. Camellia prefers a warm and humid climate, avoids the scorching sun, prefers half-bright diffused light, and tolerates shade. There are certain differences in the tolerance of camellias to low temperatures among various varieties. For example, single-petal varieties close to the original species have stronger cold resistance than ordinary varieties and can withstand -10°C low temperature. The tolerance of rare varieties to low temperature is Just low.
The highest humidity that camellias can tolerate is 35°C. Sunburn will occur if it exceeds 35°C. Germination begins when the temperature rises above 10°C, and stops growing when it reaches above 30°C. The optimal temperature for growth is between 18-25°C; the initial flowering temperature of camellia is 2°C, and the suitable temperature for flower blooming is 10-20°C. between.
Camellia likes high air humidity and avoids dryness. It requires good soil drainage. Pay attention to drainage during the plum rains and typhoon seasons in Jiangnan to avoid root rot and death. It can grow in areas with annual rainfall of more than 1200 mm. good. Camellia prefers fertile, sulfur-pine, slightly acidic loam or humus soil. It can grow in a pH range of 4.5-6.5, preferably between 5.5-6.5, and is not suitable for alkaline soil. Camellias grow. Camellia shoots shoots twice a year. The first one starts to sprout from mid-March to mid-to-late April and stops growing in mid-to-late May. It is commonly known as spring shoots. The second one starts to sprout from mid-to-late July. . In September, it is called summer shoot; after that, it enters the cessation of growth period. The shoot growth is large in spring and small in summer. Under normal conditions, the flowering period of a single flower is about 7 to 15 days. If the flowers of the same double variety bloom in late autumn and early winter, the life of a single flower can be about 1 month longer.
Yunnan camellia tolerates shade and prefers a half-sun and half-sun environment.
It has poor cold resistance and likes warm climates. The most suitable temperature is 18-24℃. It is sensitive to temperature and may suffer frost damage at 5-6℃. Likes high air humidity and gentle breeze. It should be planted in acidic soil that contains a lot of humus and is loose. Golden camellia is a tropical plant that likes a warm and humid environment. Tolerant to waterlogging, it is suitable for growing in secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys and ditches, and is partial to shade. The suitable temperature for growth is 23-30℃, and it can tolerate a short-term temperature of 2-4℃ in winter, but the low temperature period cannot be too long.
To develop rootstocks or new varieties, camellia seeds can be sown. In the first and middle of October, the fruits to be harvested are placed indoors in a ventilated place to dry in the shade. After the shade fruits crack and the seeds are taken out, they need to be sown immediately to avoid losing germination ability.
If the seeds cannot be sown immediately in the autumn, the seeds need to be mixed with wet sand and stored until sowing in early spring of the following year in February. Generally, autumn sowing produces higher germination bunches than spring sowing. Yunnan camellia has been propagated by high-tech grafting methods for hundreds of years. The rootstock is mostly 'Baiyang', an excellent rootstock of Yunnan camellia. When grafting, 2-3-year-old 'Baiyang' tea is selected and planted in earthen pots in advance. Near the camellia mother tree, a funnel-shaped shelf with a long handle made of bamboo is erected, and the rootstock is placed in it for easy docking. For grafting, choose strong branches that are 1 to 2 years old and have a diameter similar to that of the rootstock. The appropriate grafting period is from May to June. 100-120 days after grafting, the cambium layers on both sides will heal. Cut off the graft from the lower part of the joint, and remove the branches and leaves above the rootstock joint to form an independent camellia seedling. In addition to propagating Camellia japonica through conventional methods such as sowing, cutting, grafting and high-altitude layering, the embryos of seeds and in vitro tissue culture such as leaves, stem tips and axillary buds have been successfully cultured.
1. Cuttings Camellia seedlings propagated by cuttings can bloom in the third year. The suitable period for cuttings in East China is the plum rainy season, that is, mid-to-late June. The second cutting is carried out in late August or early September. During these two periods of cutting, the temperature is around 30°C. With the addition of shading facilities, the temperature can be controlled at around 25°C, creating good conditions for moisturizing and preventing wilting. For transplanting, semi-ripe branches of the current year should be selected with substantial external tissue of the crown, intact leaves, full leaf buds and no diseases and insect pests. The length of the cuttings depends on the specific situation, generally 4-10 cm, leaving 2 leaves at the tip, and the base should be covered when cutting. Cutting summary: Cut and insert as you go. The cutting density depends on the size of the leaves of the variety. Generally, the row spacing is 10-14 cm, and the plant spacing is 3-4 cm. It is required that the leaves meet each other without overlapping, and the cuttings are inserted into the soil about 3 cm. Shallow cuttings will take root quickly, deep cuttings will take root slowly. After insertion, spray water thoroughly with a fine watering can in time. It usually takes about 1 month from cutting to healing and rooting. The key to survival is to effectively maintain sufficient humidity in the early stage of cutting. Hang curtains on the east, west and south sides of the shade shed to block the wind. Cover the shed with 2 layers of curtains to reduce the impact of hot airflow and avoid direct sunlight. Pay attention to spraying water on the leaves, spray frequently and sparingly, and keep the leaves always covered with a thin layer of water film. Indirectly spraying water up the curtain is an effective way to lower the temperature inside the bed and increase the humidity. When new roots are produced, the sunlight should be gradually increased. Starting from October, only one layer of curtains should be covered to allow the tea seedlings to fully receive sunlight and accelerate lignification. The shade shed was dismantled in November and converted into a greenhouse for overwintering.
2. Grafting
(1) Grafting of seedlings and anvils: This method can make full use of propagation materials and grow faster. Shan 96 camellia and camellia oleifera are often used as rootstocks. The former has strong affinity, while the latter has late incompatibility. It takes about 2 months for the seeds to grow after being sown in the sand bed. The seedlings are 4-5 cm high and can be dug up and grafted using the split grafting method. Select semi-lignified branches with good growth, cut buds and leaves one by one from bottom to top. Make full use of the length of the internode, cut the scion into a positive wedge shape, and put it in a wet towel. When digging out rootstock seedlings, remove the grinding wheel, pay attention to heat preservation, then cut the seedlings 1 to 1.5 cm above the leaves, and cut off the root tip to make the total length 6-7 cm, and then tilt the cotyledons. Cut the stem lengthwise at the suture line, and the depth should be consistent with the bevel cut by the scion. Insert the shaved scion into the split opening of the stock in time, align it with the cambium on one side, and tie it tightly with paper glue or plastic film tape. The grafted seedlings are then planted in the seedbed with a row spacing of 8 x 2 cm. The seedbed soil is preferably fertile, sulfur-pine sandy loam. After planting, the seedbed should be covered with a plastic shed to keep it warm and covered with a double curtain. Generally, it begins to heal in 10 to 15 days, and the film can be peeled off at night around 20 to 25 days to allow it to ventilate and expose it to exposure.
Then gradually increase ventilation and increase light appropriately. After the new shoots sprout, remove all the films. As long as management is careful, 3-4 new leaves can grow in that year.
(2) Semi-ripe branch grafting: Use rented camellia or camellia oleifera adult seedlings as large rootstocks, and carry out head-to-belly grafting. With the help of the strong growth potential of the rootstock, the scion will grow rapidly, and a large plant of the famous camellia species can be cultivated within one to two years.
1. Choose good rootstocks: Choose plants with healthy plants, full buds and no pests and diseases as rootstocks. Rootstocks for summer grafting should be trimmed before the end of February. Rootstocks for autumn grafting should be trimmed with cuttings in early and mid-June. Cut off diseased and weak branches, drooping branches, cross branches and overly dense branches.
2． Timely grafting: The suitable temperature for grafting is 25-30℃. In Zhejiang, it is from late May to early to mid-June and late August. Late September is the optimum period for grafting. At this time, the skin is easy to pull apart. After grafting, the interface heals quickly, the survival rate is high, and management is relatively easy.
3． Grafting methods and issues to pay attention to
(1) Branches with a diameter of more than 1 cm are grafted by peeling, that is, carving a knife on the top, left and right of the rootstock at the appropriate part, reaching the xylem, and cutting the bark. Pull it down, and its length should be consistent with the shaved surface of the scion. Then stick the shaved graft on the peeled inner side of the rootstock. Pull up the grid to wrap the scion, then tie it with a plastic tape to expose the bud head, and then cover it. Put a plastic bag on it to increase humidity and promote healing. Unbandage and loosen it after one month. After the scion sprouts new shoots and gradually becomes lignified, all the bandages can be untied. If the thickness of the rootstock is similar to that of the scion, the abdominal grafting method is appropriate.
(2) Cut off the rootstock in three steps. The first time is to cut off the top of the shoot during binding to weaken the top advantage of the rootstock and promote healing; the second time is to cut off the first new shoot of the scion. After lignification, cut off the upper 1/3 of the branches of the rootstock and retain some branches and leaves to facilitate the development of photosynthesis and root absorption functions; the third time is after the second shoot of the scion has fully matured, at the same height as the interface. Saw down about 45. The bevel cut off the rootstock. The step-by-step separation of the anvils and the stable docking can play a role in concealing and moisturizing.
(3) The success of grafting during high temperature seasons mainly depends on the control of high temperature. It is necessary to build a shade shed and cover it with double-layer curtains so that there is basically no direct sunlight in the shed. Water should be sprayed to cool down around noon to control the local microclimate temperature below the atmospheric temperature. The average daily temperature should be below 30℃ and the maximum temperature should not exceed 35℃.
(4) The sprout heads on the rootstock should be wiped off in time.
Camellia can be cultivated in two ways: ground planting and potted planting.
1. Ground cultivation of camellia: divided into garden cultivation and field cultivation. First, a suitable planting site must be selected to meet its ecological requirements. For landscaping cultivation, shade trees should be used as companions, and for fence cultivation, shade trees should be planted in rows. Appropriate improvements should be made to unsatisfactory soil. As for planting time, autumn planting is generally better than spring planting in warm areas. Fertilization should focus on three key periods, namely: top-dressing fertilizer should be applied between February and March to promote the growth of spring shoots and supplement fertilizer after flowering; top-dressing fertilizer should be applied in June to promote secondary growth and improve drought resistance. Apply basal fertilizer from October to November to allow the new roots to slowly absorb the fertilizer, improve the cold resistance of the plant, and lay a good foundation for next spring's growth. Cultivating, weeding and cleaning the garden are one of the effective measures to prevent pests and diseases and enhance tree vigor. Winter plowing can eliminate overwintering pests. Cultivating and weeding are required 5-6 times throughout the year. However, the middle cake should be stopped during the high temperature season in summer to reduce the evaporation of soil moisture.
The main pests of camellias are: tea caterpillars, tea larvae moths, tea aphids, etc. The main diseases include: camellia leaf spot, camellia algae spot and camellia anthracnose. The prevention and control methods are: remove dead branches and leaves to eliminate the source of infection. Increase cultivation management, rational fertilization and rational irrigation to enhance plant disease resistance. Drug prevention and treatment. Light up lanterns to booby kill.
Pruning, picking buds and picking flowers: It is not advisable to prune intensively, as long as the diseased and insecticidal techniques, excessively dense techniques and weak techniques are deleted. However, for newly transplanted large and medium-sized seedlings, in order to maintain the balance of water evaporation and absorption, some branches can be appropriately pruned. Camellia is a multi-flowering tree species, especially on plants that are weak in growth. There can be more than 10 buds on one branch, which consumes a lot of nutrients. Therefore, the buds must be thinned in time to maintain 1 to 2 flower buds per branch.
2. Potted Camellia:
The key to its management is:
1. The size of the pot and the proportion of the seedlings in the pot should be appropriate. The pot soil used is best to add 1/2-1/3 cut Igf pine needles to the garden soil, and apply it after one year of decay. The effect is good.
2． The time for potting is November in winter or February to March in early spring. Stop potting near the budding period. Potting should not be done during high temperature seasons.
3． When the seedlings are newly placed in the pot, water should be poured enough to ensure that the bottom of the pot is permeable. Watering should be moderate at ordinary times.
(1) The amount of watering should change with the seasons: before and after the Qingming Festival, the plant enters the growth and germination period, and the amount of water should gradually increase. After the new plant stops growing (about late May), watering should be appropriately controlled. , to promote flower bud differentiation. June is the rainy season, so you should prevent water accumulation. If you find signs of water accumulation, tilt the basin surface in time and let it drain away. Otherwise, new roots will easily grow and rot, causing the entire plant to "wither" and die. Leaf evaporation is large during the high temperature season in summer. For varieties with thin leaves or plants with weak growth, leaf spraying of water is required when necessary. Water spraying should be carried out in the early morning or evening, and avoid spraying water at noon. In early autumn in the Jiangnan area, "autumn tigers" often appear. At this time, watering to prevent drought is still a matter of urgency. In winter, the plants gradually enter the dormant period, and the frequency of watering should be reduced accordingly.
(2) The water temperature should be similar to the soil temperature: avoid pouring cold water under the hot and scorching sun to avoid physiological maladaptation of the roots and physiological defoliation.
(3) Water according to weather conditions and plant response: On high temperatures or windy days, leaf surface evaporation accelerates, so more watering or spraying should be done. If the air humidity is high, watering should be reduced. If there is dehydration due to drought and wilting of branches and leaves, the plants should be placed in the shade immediately, watered thoroughly, and sprayed with water on the leaves at the same time. When spraying water, in order to prevent excess water from sneaking into the basin, a plastic film can be tied to the trunk and extended outside the basin. This can maintain proper moisture in the soil, and then switch to regular management when the stems and leaves recover or new shoots grow and the old leaves fall.
(4) Water according to the habits of different varieties: Generally, camellias with large leaves, large flowers and fast-growing varieties require large amounts of water and should be watered more. Rare varieties such as 'Shi Yang Jing', 'Yuan Feng Guan', 'Sajin Baozhu', 'Fengxian', 'Lvzhuqiu', etc. have low water evaporation, and excessive watering will cause leaves and buds to fall.
4． Shade and cold protection: Camellia likes warmth and moisture, and neither too much cold nor too much heat is detrimental to its growth and development. Generally there is no need for greenhouse cultivation. Sufficient sunlight should be provided in spring and the rainy season, otherwise the branches will grow sluggishly, which will easily cause black spot disease and scale insect damage. Mosquitoes will also easily occur on the branches, leading to plant aging and death. In the high temperature seasons of summer and autumn, shade should be provided in time to cool down. In winter, the temperature drops or the low temperature lasts too long, which will cause the pot soil to freeze and the plants to freeze to death. Antifreeze measures must be taken in time. For potted seedlings overwintering indoors, it is advisable to keep them at 3-4°C. If the temperature exceeds 16°C, it will cause premature germination, and in severe cases, it will cause leaf and bud drop. The fertilization, pruning, pest control, etc. of potted camellias are basically the same as open field cultivation. Yunnan camellia should be planted in a place with deep, loose soil, good drainage, and slight shade. Seedlings should be planted in pots for easy management. The growing environment should be cool in summer, and greenhouse cultivation should be carried out in winter. Yunnan camellia grows slowly and is difficult to grow, so it should not be pruned again. Camellia japonica is planted in multiple rows in pots during the seedling stage and can be planted in the ground after 4 years. It is a shady tree species and should be planted under tall shade trees. Under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, people are most susceptible to anthrax infection and should be prevented and treated in time.
The direction and approach of camellia breeding:
1. Breed new varieties with novel flower colors: such as obvious enhanced color, golden yellow or different background colors. It has yellow color patterns and foot color.
2. Camellia flowers are graceful and colorful, but have no fragrance, which is really a fly in the ointment; it is necessary to use the original species with fragrance in the genus Camellia, such as: long-petal short-column tea, hairy flower tea, camellia oleifera, tea , Jian Lian Rui Tea, Ryukyu Lian Rui Tea 5, etc., use these original species to conduct inter-specific hybridization or inter-species hybridization with camellia to screen out new species and new varieties with aromatic properties.
3. The flowering period of camellias mostly occurs in spring, and there are fewer varieties that bloom in autumn. More excellent varieties that bloom in autumn should be cultivated.
4. Strengthen the breeding of cold-resistant varieties.
Camellia is native to the south. At present, most of the open-field cultivation of horticultural varieties is limited to the south of the Yangtze River Basin. Therefore, the cultivation of cold-resistant species and varieties should be promoted to the north and should be studied as a special topic. For example, the United Kingdom introduced the red camellias and camellias imported from my country, and soon developed the famous variety group Williams. These hybrids are very cold-resistant and can grow and bloom in areas with severe winters like the United Kingdom. When breeding camellias for cold resistance in my country, the semi-wild winter-resistant types native to Laoshan and its nearby islands, as well as camellia oleifera and tea, are all promising hybrid parents.
5. The crowns of camellias come in various shapes, but there are not many crown shapes suitable for study decoration. It is also worth studying how to select a dwarf plant shape with slender, soft and drooping branches, capable of blooming regularly, and forming a gardening style of its own.
6. The pollination rate of natural hybridization of camellias is much higher than that of artificial hybridization. Therefore, we must pay attention to the seeds of hybridization under natural conditions and select and breed them from seedlings. Strange species will inevitably appear. Yunnan camellias are large and beautiful, but have no fragrance. The flowers are mainly red in color and are relatively monotonous. Lack of yellow and blue colors. Compared with camellia, it has poor cold resistance. These shortcomings are exactly what breeders should focus on. Through interspecific hybridization, it is expected to develop satisfactory new varieties. Facts have proved that using seedlings for seed selection is a shortcut to obtain excellent new varieties. The Yunnan Institute of Botany has done this and achieved impressive results. Golden camellia flowers are golden, which is a color missing from ornamental camellias. Therefore, Golden Camellia is the most ideal germplasm resource for cultivating yellow camellia. Using Golden Camellia as a parent and crossing it with Camellia, Yunnan Camellia, Camellia sasanqua, etc., a certain seed setting rate can be obtained; there are two breeding directions: one is to cultivate yellow, large and double-flowered Camellia; the other is to cultivate abundant flowers, or bribe A fragrant Gypsophila type camellia.
Camellia has high ornamental and economic value, and is widely used in landscaping and home cultivation. In 1955, the Hangzhou Botanical Garden opened a Mulan Mountain Tea Garden of more than 50 acres, planting more than 50 species and varieties of camellias. Kunming Botanical Garden and Yunnan Mountain Tea Garden are also tourist attractions with local characteristics.
Camellia is an important material for landscaping. It has beautiful colors, long flowering period, bright green leaves, colorful crowns, and the habit of growing well under tall tree crowns. Therefore, it is often widely used in park green spaces, Areas of natural beauty and places of interest. In the garden, they can be planted in small groups or combined with other tree species, or can be used as the main scenery for appreciation. Camellia is also a good product for potted plants. Some dwarf shrub varieties are often used as potted plants and are very common from south to north. In the winter north of the Yangtze River, indoor antifreeze or greenhouse cultivation is required.
Camellia has strong resistance to the harmful gas sulfur dioxide, and also has obvious resistance to hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, hydrogen fluoride and chromic acid smoke. It is suitable for greening factory areas with harmful gas pollution. It plays the role of protecting the environment and purifying the air.
Camellia blooms in winter and has a long flowering period, making it a good cut flower material. The flowers and roots of camellia can be used as medicine. Various camellia seeds are rich in oil and are good edible oils. Tengchong safflower oil tea is a nourishing oil. Yunnan camellia trees are tall, strong and graceful, with dense shade and green leaves, large flowers and a long flowering period. They can be planted alone on lawns and in front of courtyards, or planted opposite each other on both sides of roads or at the entrance to squares. It can be grown as a potted plant or used as cut flowers. The flowers can also be used as medicine. Oil can be extracted from the fruit. The wood is available for carving. Golden camellia flowers are all over the tree, as bright as gold. It is a rare flowering tree species in winter. It is suitable for planting in clusters or patches, and can also be viewed in pots and used as cut flowers. Its leaves can be substituted for tea and assist in the treatment of high blood pressure; its flowers can treat blood in the stool; oil extracted from its seeds can be used for food or industrial purposes; wood can be carved; the yellow extract of the flowers can be used as food dye.
How to choose butterfly flowers when orchids have not bloomed? Mainly examine features such as leaf margins, leaf veins and leaf sheaths. The small categories are currently roughly divided into: outer butterfly valve (the lateral sepals are partially labialized), inner butterfly valve (the petals are partially labialized), stamen butterfly valve (the petals are fully labialized), inner and outer butterfly valves, inner butterfly valves, and butterfly valves. "Multiple petals, chrysanthemum petals, peony petals (which seem to be classified into lotus-shaped multi-petal)", lotus-shaped multi-petal, etc. In fact, there are two types of butterfly petals, multiple petals or few petals. The main feature of "butterfly petals" is on the edge of the leaf. , the main feature of "more and less valves" is the leaf veins.
The characteristics of stable varieties are now described as follows:
1. The common spring orchid butterfly petals have a flat upper part (with shallow grooves), but the common flowers produced in Hunan and Eshan mostly have shallow grooves in the upper part of the leaves. The "butterfly petals" seen in Huilandia are indistinguishable from each other. The depth of the groove is different, so the ratio is close.
2. The edge of the outer sphenoid valve is particularly serrated near the end of the leaf, and the edges of the middle and lower parts of the leaf gradually become finer.
3. In the inner butterfly valve or the stamen butterfly valve, the teeth on both edges of the leaf must be more obvious on one side from the leaf end to the middle and lower part of the leaf, while the other side is not obvious or even toothless.
4． The inner and outer butterfly valves have both the above-mentioned teeth. The teeth near the leaf end are thicker, and toward the lower leaf edge, only one side of the teeth is obvious, while the other side is not obvious or has no teeth.
5． The butterfly valve is multi-valved. In addition to the above-mentioned related characteristics, the leaf veins have the following multi-valved characteristics.
6. One of the characteristics of multiple valves is that the dorsal view of the leaf veins (the same below), the more obvious left and right secondary veins close to the main (middle) vein, often one of the secondary veins (mostly seen on the right secondary vein) is slightly wider On the main vein, but not as convex as the main vein.
7. The second characteristic of multiple valves is two accessory veins or. One of the secondary veins has segments or sections wider than the main vein.
8. The third characteristic of multiple valves is that the two accessory veins or one of the accessory veins have obvious thick spots.
9. The fourth characteristic of multiple valves is that there is one or several oblique (curved) linear veinlets (mostly multiple labial valves) spanning the upper part between the secondary vein (mostly the left secondary vein) and the main vein.
10. The fifth characteristic of multiple petals is that some have irregular intermittent convex lines at the leaf ends (the second leaf is seen on the left).
11. The sixth characteristic of multiple valves is that some leaf sheath lateral veins are slightly wider than the midrib.
12. Missing flap. The characteristics are opposite to those of multiple valves. None of the above two secondary veins is wider than the main vein, but the thickness of the two secondary veins is obviously different or there are segments or points that appear to be tapered; in this case, there is no labial valve on the main vein. In short, the lack of lobes should have one or more characteristics that are completely opposite to those of multiple lobes, otherwise it will be unstable.
13. Characteristics of the length of flower arrows (stems). Before a person develops, you want to know how tall or short he will be when he grows up? You can get a rough idea by looking at his calves. As we all know, there is no tall man with very short calves, and there is no short fat man with particularly long calves. The same is true for orchids, which are characterized by a thin ring that surrounds the lower part of the leaf, commonly known as "zhi ring" or "sub-ring". Regardless of the length of the narrowed lower part of the leaf, this "zhi ring" goes down to the pseudobulb. It is called a petiole (it is also called a petiole if this length is extended upward to the same length, that is, with the sesame ring as the center, and the length of the upper and lower half is the petiole). The petiole is like a human calf, and the flower arrow is like a person's height, so the petiole is longer. , the pedicel is also higher, and vice versa.
14. If the abnormal valve shape has structures such as plum valve shape, its leaves and sheath will also have corresponding characteristics.
15. Color characteristics. If you don't see the flowers, you can carefully observe the leaf tips. Most of them have the same color as the flowers, and some have similar colors on the leaf edges.
I’m so exhausted! I wish you success!