三月苦楝 china berry flowers

三月苦楝（戀），很有意象。乍暖還寒，那淡紫，曖昧，懸念。
spring colours can be exhilarating. china berry is different. the lilac petals, the blossoms clusters and the fragrance form an aura like a dream.

樹可長到十米，較少機會近距離欣賞苦楝的花。從前，在這時節，經過郊野或者公園，遇到高園樹冠呈現一片紫霧，馬上被攝住。走近，去呼吸隱浮空氣中的幽香，同時忍不住輕撫樹幹深刻縱裂的皮痕。

(原來楝科就是我認識的 mahogany 紅木科。中國傢俱有所謂紅木傢俱，素材就是這家族的木。)

the tree is so recognizable during the flowering and fruiting season. each flower has five petals in lilac, the violet tube in the heart of each flower is formed by the filament. its fruits are in bronze yellow and last long on the tree during winter.

the longitudinal cracks on the trunk are impressive. they appear to me gorgeous nature sculpting work.

前星期有幸在濕地公園遇到一顆矮少的苦楝，紫花把我的神勾蕩。這些照片是明證，好像焦點都沒有很準。

the week before at the wetland park, there is a short young china berry tree. wind was blowing. the tiny flowers were shaking.

luckily i caught better shot yesterday at the sun yat san memorial park.it was actually the fragrance that caught me first before i realized that was from the blossoms of china berry.

昨天在中山公園兒童遊樂場前，陣陣香氣撲鼻，抬頭才知原來是一棵苦楝。這次對自己說要好好把持，要將苦楝的花好留畫面。

苦楝 china berry  (melia azedarach) – 植物界 plantae kingdom | 被子植物門 magnoliophyta division | 雙子葉植物綱 magnoliopsida class | 無患子目sapindales order | 楝科 meliaceae family | 楝屬 melia genus | 種 species：m. azedarach 《維基》

參考 reference:

• 落葉大喬木，樹冠傘形，樹幹縱裂，枝節皮孔密佈。
• 葉互生，二至三回奇數羽狀複葉，鋸齒緣，先端尖銳，基部歪斜。
• 花淡紫色，腋生圓錐狀花序，花多密生，有香味。花瓣五瓣，長橢圓形，花絲連成筒狀，雄蕊10枚。
• 果實和種子：青綠色核果，成熟時內果皮木質化。外果皮黃褐色。苦楝子是一種治療疝氣，可殺蟲及指腹痛的要用果實。
• 木材可做建築或家具建材；樹皮具毒性，可提煉苦楝素當有機殺蟲劑。  《翠屏國民中小學 – 翠屏校樹》
• melia azedarach, commonly known as chinaberry tree, bead-tree or cape lilac, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family. it is native to pakistan, india, indochina, southeast asia and australia.
• the adult tree has a rounded crown, and commonly measures attains a height of 7–12 metres.
• the flowers are small and fragrant, with five pale purple or lilac petals, growing in clusters.
• the fruit is a drupe, marble-sized, light yellow at maturity, hanging on the tree all winter, and gradually becoming wrinkled.
• the leaves are up to 50 cm long, alternate, long-petioled, two or three times compound (odd-pinnate); the leaflets are dark green above and lighter green below, with serrate margins. wiki