比蒙藤 / 清明花 herald’s trumpet / easter lily vine (beaumontia grandiflora)

兵頭花園有多個入口，各有風光。上亞厘畢道向著禮賓府的大門，麻石柱石樓梯，還有褪色的公園名字 old botanic gardens，都是活生生的珍貴古蹟，見證著這裡幾近個半世紀的歷史。

入口兩旁近年設置長椅供人觀景休息。座位後方是植披斜坡，生氣豐盈，鐵圍欄幾被遮蓋。

右邊一方，攀援架被比蒙藤征服。

二月底，遇到花期初展。

她的花實在太吸睛。再看看植物其他部分，一派強悍，還以為是來自南美的。

原來，此木質攀援植物來自亞洲，原生南亞，並見於中國包括廣東、雲南等地。

因為美麗奪目的花朵，園藝界喜愛栽種，目前已見於世界各地。

此大藤本中國常用名是清明花。我們所用的「比蒙」相信是譯自拉丁名字。

折錄百度百科的描述：「莖有皮孔。卵形葉對生，側脈明顯。聚傘花序頂生；花冠5裂片；花大，漏斗形，白色，有香氣。蓇葖果形狀多變。」

如此壯觀的花朵，文字不如真相。

不知你會否有同感，那斗大百合般青白的花冠，猶如天使與魔鬼的混合體。 

the zoological & botanical gardens, which i always refer as the “botanic gardens” here, is one place i frequent when i want some green fix in town. it is the variety of plants and the age of the trees plus the historical value of the gardens that always draw me to spend time in.

there are various entrances. the one facing upper albert road is most photogenic. you can easily find black & white photos dated back to the 19th century with visitors posing in front of the granite pillars and archway with the name “old botanic gardens” engraved.

one weekend in late february when i visited the garden, the herald’s trumpet blossoms again fiercely on one side of the entrance.

i always told myself to research and write about this woody vine every time during its flowering season because the flowers are really stunning and bold.

i always thought that because of the strong feature this is a plant from the america. the truth is after some research it is an asian native – to india, nepal, thailand, to name few – and we can trace this plant to china including guangdong and yunnan.

i would invite you to appreciate these flowers face to face in person. they probably will give you the same thrill i receive from their angelic white features they are almost devilish.  

in written term, allow me to quote and excerpt from wikipedia,

“leaves are large, smooth and opposite with sticky white sap.

the large white fragrant flowers are borne in corymbs terminal and in the leaf axils. the calyx is 5-lobed and the corolla is dark funnel-or bell-shaped with 5 lobes. stamens are attached near the base of the corolla tube and have slender filaments with arrow-shaped anthers. they are very showy when in full bloom and are regarded as among the most outstanding vines of the world.

the fruits comprises a pair of thick woody follicles.”

比蒙藤 / 清明花  herald’s trumpet / easter lily vine (beaumontia grandiflora) – kingdom: plantae 植物界| (clade 演化支): eudicots 真雙子葉植物綱 | (clade 演化支): asterids 菊類植物 | order: gentianales 龍膽目 | family: apocynaceae 夾竹桃科 | genus: beaumontia 清明花屬 | species: 清明花 b. grandiflora    ~ sources: wikipedia + 維基百科

參考：百度百科;  維基百科  | references: eflora.org; wikipedia