Willow tree, with slender and low-hanging branches, brown-green, cold-resistant and drought-resistant, likes warm to high temperatures and sufficient sunshine.
The willow tree's explanation
There are many explanations for the willow tree in ancient and modern times: 1. The willow tree means "remain", so it means farewell. 2. The willow tree is said to be one of the four ghost trees in ancient times. There is a superstitious theory that it gathers ghosts. 3. Willow trees are said to praise women’s femininity. 4. Willow is a masculine tree species and is often used among the people to ward off evil spirits and attract feng shui. 5. Willow trees are in Quancheng. Trees, springs and people are harmoniously accompanied by each other. It is known as a scenic spot where "every house has clear springs and every house has weeping willows". Willow culture Willow culture collection Willow is the messenger of spring. Du Fu has a poem: "The color of the snow in the mausoleum is still day lily, and the spring is revealed by wicker." It tells that willow is the forecaster of spring breath, so since ancient times, people have loved willow, forming There are many folk customs related to willow and the interesting willow culture. In ancient my country, during the Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival, there was a custom of planting willow branches in front of every house. In the Song Dynasty, this custom became even more popular. Not only did they put willow branches in front of their doors, but they also wore a wicker hat ring on their head, and went to the countryside for outings in spring in cars and sedan chairs filled with wickers. To this day, many people still put willow sticks on their graves during the Qingming Festival to commemorate them. This is where this custom comes from. Breaking Willows The custom of breaking willows as a farewell began in the Han Dynasty. The word "Zheliu" was first seen in the book "Sanfu Huangtu" written by an unknown person in the Six Dynasties. Since then, "breaking willow" has been used as a farewell word in poetry. The ancients gave willows as gifts with two meanings: first, willows grow easily and quickly, and sending friends with them means that they will flourish no matter where they go, while the soft and delicate willow silk symbolizes endless love. Secondly, willow is a homophonic pronunciation of "liu", and breaking willows as gifts means "to retain". Dai Liu "If you don't wear Liu during the Qingming Festival, a beauty will become a bright head." It contains the meaning of wishing that spring will stay in the world and stay young forever. It expresses people's good wishes of cherishing spring. This is one of them. Second, as the saying goes: "If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not bloom, but if you don't intend to plant willows, they will form shade." Willows are easy to grow. The tree species used for cutting are fast-growing trees that are very easy to grow. They can be said to be full of vitality, and wearing willows also means a promising future. According to legend, during the Huangchao Uprising, Dai Liu was designated as the nickname, which means it is full of vitality and easy to succeed. Nowadays, in northern my country, Fujian and Taiwan, there is still the custom of wearing Liu during the Qingming Festival. According to relevant information, this is an entertainment activity carried out by the ancients around the Qingming Dynasty, that is, shooting hanging willow leaves with bows and arrows a hundred steps away from the willow tree. This activity started in the Warring States Period and became popular in the Han Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty, it was officially designated as an official competition event. Later, I don't know who came up with a new trick, and changed the original shooting of willow leaves into shooting gourds: put a dove in the gourd, hang it on a willow tree a hundred steps away, shoot the gourd, startle the dove, and measure the hit rate. High or low determines victory or defeat. Although it is a gourd, it is still called "shooting a willow". Appreciating Willows The Qingming Festival is a great time for an outing. "Old Wulin Stories" records: "On the ten days before and after the Qingming Festival, the ladies in the city, decorated with gold, green, and jade, joined hands one after another, wandering around gracefully, painting boats, flutes and drums all day long." An important part of the outing is to see willows. In this regard, It can be seen from many poems about the Qingming Festival. For example, Wu Weixin of the Song Dynasty wrote "Qingming Festival on Su Di": "The pear blossoms are blowing in the wind during the Qingming Festival, and wanderers are half out of the city in search of spring. At dusk, the music and songs are put away, and thousands of willow trees belong to the wandering warblers." Yu Liuliu is a symbol of beauty. When the willow leaves are just born, they look like sleepy eyes just unfolding, so they are called "willow eyes". Li Shangyin's "February 2nd Poetry": "The flowers, whiskers and willow eyes are all bad, and the purple butterflies and wasps are all sentimental." The woman's beautiful eyebrows are slender and look like willow leaves, which is called "willow eyebrows". Wang Yan's poem "Ganzhou Song": "The face of willow eyebrows and peach trees is full of spring". A woman's waist is as soft as wicker, so she is called "willow waist". Hanok poem: "Liu Yao Lian has a face that forgets emotion." Wei Guan's calligraphy in the Jin Dynasty looks like a willow leaf, which is known as "Liu Ye Seal" in the world. Catkins scattered are called catkins, also known as "willow cotton". Yan Shu's "Allegorical Poetry": "The moon melts in the pear blossom courtyard, and the catkins pond has a gentle breeze." Su Dongpo said, "There are few catkins blowing on the branches, and there are no fragrant grasses anywhere in the world." Ode to Willows Poets of all dynasties used willow trees in their titles and sang endlessly. "Yangliu Yiyi" written in the ancient "Book of Songs" has long become a good line for people to chant. After the Tang Dynasty, famous poems about willows appeared one after another, such as "The catkins are flying, and the sunset is bright in Peach Blossom Wu", "The curls are green again, seducing the spring breeze with endless emotion" and so on. But among the poems about willows, the one that depicts the soft and beautiful image of the willow tree most vividly and movingly is He Zhizhang's "Ode to the Willows": "The jasper is made up into a tree as high as a tree, with thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down; I don't know who cut out the thin leaves, The spring breeze in February is like scissors.
" Love Liu In the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a certain Liu Xiahui, whose original surname was not Liu, but he changed his surname because he loved Liu very much. Therefore, his descendants all had the surname Liu. Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty deliberately planted five willow trees in front of the hall and named himself "Five Willows" Mr."; in the Northern Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu dug soil and planted a willow tree in the plains of Yangzhou, which was known as "Ougong Willow"; in the Tang Dynasty, Princess Wencheng planted a willow tree in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, and later generations named it "Tang Willow"; in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Pusong When he was living in Linquan, he planted willows by the spring, so he called himself "Liuquan Jushi". When Zuo Zongtang, a famous general in the late Qing Dynasty, went to the northwest, he ordered the army to plant willows along the Hexi Corridor, which stretched for thousands of miles, and was called "Zuogong Liu" in modern times. The painter Feng Zikai once named the house "Little Willow House"; the modern historian Chen Yinke also loved willows very much. His study room was called "Han Liu Tang", and his writings were compiled into "Han Liu Tang Collection". "There are thousands of willow trees in the spring breeze." The willow trees sprout green buds in the spring breeze, dance and sway with the wind, and are very romantic. They have won the love of the Chinese people very early and have become the object of praise and praise by literati of the past dynasties. They wrote There are a large number of poems and essays about willows. Throughout ancient poems and articles, there are many images of "willow", such as "Zhangtai willow", "Baqiao willow", "waterside willow", "Suidi willow" and "Qingmen willow". ", "Riverside Willow", "Cityside Willow", "East Gate Willow", "Ting Willow", "River Willow", "Weeping Willow", "New Willow", "Autumn Willow", "Smoke Willow", " "Wind Willow", "Asking Willow", "Willow Color", "Willow Catkins", "Willow Song", "Folding Willow", "Willow Branch", "Willow Branch Ci" and many other Liu poems, Liu Fu, Liu Ji, Liu Ci, Willow songs constitute an important part of "Liu culture". Willows appeared as a literary image in the pre-Qin period. The earliest collection of poems in my country, "The Book of Songs: Cai Wei", has "In the past, when I left, the willows were still there; now when I come, the rain comes." "Snow is falling, the snow is falling", "Wangyouguan Liu Fu" by Meicheng of the Western Han Dynasty is the first Liu Fu. During the Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties, along with the emergence of poems about objects, poems about willows appeared with willow as the theme. Emperor Wen of Liang Jian wrote " "Broken Willow" is the first poem about willows in the past dynasties, and the poem "Ode to Willows" written by He Zhizhang of Tang Dynasty is the most famous and expressive. . I wonder who cuts out the thin leaves? The spring breeze in February is like scissors. " As the "willow image" in literary works, the most symbolic meaning is to express the symbol of "parting love". The willow color is like smoke, and the wicker branches are long, like the lingering tenderness between relatives and friends, like the endless hatred of separation, plus " "Liu" and "liu" are homophonic. People are willing to regard willow as a sustenance and carrier of emotions, which has led to the customs of "breaking willows to say goodbye" and "breaking willows to send them far away". For a long time, willow has been regarded as a synonym for farewell. It is thus rooted in the cultural psychology of the Chinese nation. Since the custom of "breaking willow branches" emerged in the Spring and Autumn Period, it has been passed down from generation to generation in the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. "Branches") Yuefu poems. "Song Book Five Elements Chronicles" records: "At the end of the Jin Dynasty, Jingluo was a song about breaking willows, and its music contained words about the hardships of the war. "Book of Tang·Yue Zhi" also contains: "There is a drumming song in Liang Yuefu: 'When you get on your horse, you don't lift the whip, but instead bend the willow branches. When you get off your horse, you play the transverse flute, and you are worried about killing the travelers.'" The lyrics of this song originate from the Northern Kingdom, that is, the drum and horn are blown horizontally to "Bring the Willow Branches". In "The Willow Branch" written by Emperor Jianwen of Liang Dynasty, there is a poem "The willows become messy silk, climbing and folding in spring." Poems after the Tang Dynasty sang the poem "Breaking Willow Branches" Prosperity, such as the poem "Farewell" by Wang Zhihuan of the Tang Dynasty has "The willow tree is in the east wind, and the green is sandwiched between the river; the climb has been painful recently, it should be because there are many partings"; the poem "Ancient Farewell" by Meng Jiao has "The willows weave farewell sorrow, thousands of threads ", Li Bai's poem "Laolao Pavilion" has "Where the world is sad, Laolao sees off guests in the pavilion. The spring breeze knows the pain of farewell and does not send away the willow green." Bai Juyi's poem "Qingmen Willow" also has "For many farewells near the capital, the long branches are broken to reduce the spring breeze." "There are still people traveling far away in the morning", Li Shangyin's "Li Ting Fu De Broken Willows" has "I broke all the willows to repay the travelers, half to see off and half to welcome home", Shi Jianwu's "Breaking Willow Branches" has "I saw the willows on the roadside. In spring, every fold is broken and a new one is broken; this year, it is still the same place as before, and I don't have to say goodbye to others last year." Han Qi of the Song Dynasty's "Xinliu" has "Passengers on the post road go east to west, easily climbing and breaking branches; living things are without roots. , endure to bid farewell to the east wind", Ouyang Xiu's "Ode to the Willows" has "The long pavilion sees off guests and welcomes the rain, spends all the spring strips to give farewell", Zhou Bangyan's "Six Ugly" has "The long pavilion deliberately annoys travelers, like holding clothes to wait" "Words, farewell love is infinite", Ming Dynasty Yan Duo's "Ode to the Willows" has "The willows at the river bridge are half without branches, and most of them are given to passers-by as parting gifts", etc. There are too many examples. Scholar Mr. Luo Zongtao analyzed a large number of "willows" that appeared in ancient literary works. When willow symbolizes the reason for "separation", he said: "There are many plants that often appear in Chinese literary works, and the most important one may be willow. Some people say that 'the most common tree in Chinese literary works is willow', which seems to make sense."
Willows are a symbol of separation, and Chinese people like to gather but not to separate, and are most afraid of being separated from others and friends. But in the journey of life, whether it is life or death, separation often happens, so in Chinese poetry, separation has become the most important theme. The lingering wicker, fluttering catkins, and the sound of the flute often appear in the poet's writings. The croaking willow song. "[36] This is exactly the case. The sub-imagery symbolic meaning of "breaking willows and sending them far away" also appears in ancient poetry. For example, Xu Jingxian of the Tang Dynasty's "Breaking Willows" poem has "Breaking the fragrance and sending the song of lovesickness far away, but it is a pity that it is difficult to allow Hua to return." "Hold", Lu Zhaolin's poem "Breaking Willows" has "Climbing and breaking willows to send messages, and there are few messages from the army", Zhang Jiuling's poem "Breaking Willows" has "Slim willows are broken, holding them to send to lovers", Zhang Xu's poem "Liu" has "Zhao Zhuoyan" The wicker branches are hanging down on the ground, and there are thoughts of spring beside the buildings beside the city." Li He's poem "To a Drinking Tour" has "The wicker branches are broken and the flowers have flown away. I would like to ask the passers-by whether they are returning home." Tang Yanqian's poem "Liu" has "Spring thoughts and spring sorrows." "Branches, distant villages and distant shores", etc., etc., are all poems about breaking willows and sending them far away, to express longing for relatives and friends far away, and to pray for their early return. Edit this section The uses of willow trees Willow trees are light and easy to cut , does not deform after drying, has no special smell, and can be used for construction, pit wood, box boards, match stems, etc.; the wood has high fiber content and is a raw material for papermaking and artificial cotton; willow and willow branches are good firewood; many species Willow can be used to make baskets, boxes, hats, etc.; willow leaves can be used as feed for sheep, horses, etc.; it is a nectar plant; it is a beautiful ornamental tree species that is easy to survive, has a whirling posture, is beautiful and unrestrained, and is suitable for planting on the lakeside. If peach is planted in the middle, it will have graceful green silk and fluttering red branches, which is especially characteristic of the spring scenery in Jiangnan gardens in my country. It has strong adaptability and beautiful tree shape. It is mostly used as a garden greening tree species with weak resistance to sulfur dioxide, chlorine, etc., and will have symptoms after being damaged. Due to the phenomenon of fallen leaves and dead branches, it is not suitable to be planted in air-polluted areas. The bark contains tannin; the material is inferior to that of dry willow, and can be used as utensils and papermaking raw materials; catkins can be used to fill chair cushions and pillows; the branches and fibrous roots can dispel wind and remove moisture. Aspirin is a drug commonly used by humans with antipyretic and analgesic effects. Its scientific name is acetylsalicylic acid. The invention of aspirin originated from the willow tree that can be seen everywhere in China and the West. People have used it since ancient times. It is known that willow bark has magical effects of antipyretic and analgesic. In traditional Chinese medicine, willow tree has many medicinal effects. Overview Scientific name: Salix babylonica Alias: Salix, Weeping Willow, Qingming Willow Biological Classification: Angiosperm, Dicotyledon. , Aromacarpa, Salixales, Salicaceae Origin: Southern China Toxicity: Slightly toxic Leaf: Shape is linear-lanceolate or narrow-lanceolate, about 6~14cm long, 5~11mm wide , with finely serrated edges. Flowers: Blooms from February to March every year. The inflorescences are catkins. The male inflorescences are 2~4cm long and the female inflorescences are about 2cm long. Other characteristics: Large deciduous tree with slender and soft branches. Drooping, likes wetlands, can reach 20-30 meters in height, 50-60 centimeters in diameter, and grows rapidly; the bark tissue is thick and longitudinally split, and the center of the old trunk is rotten and hollow. The branches are hairless; the winter buds are linear and densely attached. Branches. The leaves are alternate, linear-lanceolate, 7-15 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, with pointed ends and glandular serrations on the edges. The surface is dark green, the back is greenish-white, and both sides are smooth and hairless. It has stipules. The flowers bloom behind the leaves, and the male inflorescence is a catkin with a short stem, slightly curved, 1-1.5 cm long. The fruit is a capsule, which has 2 lobes when mature and contains multiple seeds. There is a tuft of wool on the seeds. Propagation by cuttings. It was introduced to Taiwan around the end of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 300 years. It is highly resistant to air pollution and dust and is suitable for growing in urban gardens, especially near pools or streams. Toxic parts: leaves and bark. Symptoms of poisoning: After accidental ingestion, symptoms such as sweating, thirst, vomiting, vasodilation, tinnitus, blurred vision, and in severe cases difficulty in breathing, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, deep and slow breathing, and rapid pulse. Willow trees are divided into weeping willows and dry willows. Weeping willow, also called poplar, is a deciduous tree; dry willow, also called qiliu, also known as river willow, is a deciduous tree. Willow has flexible branches, long and narrow leaves, yellow-green flowers in spring, and white hairs on the seeds, which scatter in the wind when mature. Willow can reproduce vegetatively, with willow roots growing mainly.
Dry willow
Scientific name: Salix matsudana Koidz Shape: Salix matsudana Koidz. Deciduous tree with dark gray bark. The single leaves are alternate, lanceolate, and the back of the leaf is gray-white. Dioecious, with catkins. Capsule, seeds with seed hairs.
Distribution: Produced in China, North Korea, Japan and other places. Commonly cultivated in urban and rural areas of Beijing. Usage: Protective forest and greening tree species, can also be used as timber tree species.
Weeping willow
Weeping willow Salix babylonica Linn.
British name: Babylon Weeping Willow, Weeping Willow Family name: Salicaceae Alias ??of the genus: Weeping willow, Weeping Willow Willow, inverted willow, inverted willow, willow, Qingming willow, water willow, weak willow; Morphological characteristics: deciduous trees, slender, drooping branchlets, lavender green or brown green, hairless or hairy when young. Leaves are narrowly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, with apex acuminate, base wedge-shaped, sometimes skewed, edges with fine serrations, hairless or pubescent when young, and white on the back; petioles are 6-12 mm long, with short soft edges. hair. The inflorescence axis is pubescent; the male inflorescence is 2-4 cm long, the bracts are oblong, with dense pubescence on the back, 2 stamens, slightly hairy base, and 2 glands; the female inflorescence is 1.5-2 cm long. 5 cm, female flower has 1 gland, ovary hairless, stigma 4-lobed. The capsule is yellowish brown, 3-4 mm long. Flowering period is April. Ecological habits: pruning and pruning can be done after the leaves fall in winter. It is drought-tolerant, water- and wet-tolerant, and is a hygroscopic tree species. It likes to live in wetlands on both sides of the river, and will not die from short-term flooding or tops. It can also adapt to high dry land and calcareous soil. It germinates early, falls leaves late, and grows quickly, but it is not as cold-resistant as the dry willow. Lifespan is short and will gradually age after 30 years. Propagation and cultivation: Propagation by cuttings is commonly used, which can maintain the excellent characteristics of the mother tree. Propagation is mainly by cuttings, but also by sowing and raising seedlings. Cuttings are carried out in early spring, and excellent plants with fast growth and few pests and diseases are selected as mother trees for cuttings. 2-3 year old branches are cut before germination and cut into 15-17 cm long for cuttings. The cuttings should be spaced 20 × 30 centimeters in rows and inserted straight. Water them thoroughly after cutting, keep the soil moist at all times, apply buds and weeds in time, and apply top dressing 3 to 4 times after taking root. Seedlings are susceptible to weevils, aphids, and willow beetles. For sowing and raising seedlings, seeds are collected in April and sown as they are collected. The weight of 1,000 seeds is 0.4 grams, the germination rate is 70-80%, about 0.25 kg per mu is sown, and the seedling height is 80-100 cm that year. Transplantation should be carried out after the leaves fall in winter and before the buds sprout in early spring of the following year. After planting, watering should be sufficient and supports should be erected. Pests and diseases: Star beetles and star beetles eat branches, and large damson moths, thorn moths, plum leaf beetles, willow leaf beetles, grasshoppers, etc. damage branches and leaves. Willow leaf beetles can be sprayed with 800 times trichlorfon or 1,000 times phoxim during the damage period from April to June. There are also large green-tailed silkworm moths that damage the leaves, and the control is the same as that of snow willow. Ornamental characteristics and garden use: The posture is whirling, elegant and unrestrained, suitable for planting on the lakeside of the pond. If peach flowers are planted in the middle, the green silk will be graceful and the red branches will spread, which is especially the spring scenery characteristic of the gardens in the south of the Yangtze River in my country. It has strong adaptability and beautiful tree shape, and is often used as a garden greening tree species. It has weak resistance to sulfur dioxide, chlorine, etc., and will have fallen leaves and dead shoots after being damaged, so it is not suitable for planting in air-polluted areas. The bark contains tannins; the material is inferior to that of willow and can be used as utensils and papermaking raw materials; catkins can be stuffed into chair cushions and pillows; the branches and fibrous roots can dispel wind and dehumidify. There is a saying in the poem: Willows planted unintentionally create shade. It shows that willow trees are very easy to survive. The fibers of river willow bark can be used as raw materials for textiles and ropes; the branches can be used to weave baskets, baskets, wicker boxes, and safety helmets. The wood is white in color and strong in toughness. It can be used as small farm tools, small utensils and for making charcoal.
Steamed Bread Willow
Scientific name: Salix matsudana Koidz. Var.umbraculifera Rehd Shape: Salix species of Salix matsudana Koidz. Var.umbraculifera Rehd. It is a deciduous tree with dense branches and a broad, oval crown that is shaped like a steamed bun. Single leaves are alternate and lanceolate. Dioecious, with catkins. Distribution: Commonly cultivated along roads and in parks in Beijing. Cold and drought tolerant. Usage: Ornamental tree species, greening.
Dragon claw willow
Scientific name: Salix matsudana Koidz. Var.tortuosa (Vilm.) Rehd. Shape: Salix matsudana Koidz. Deciduous tree with branches curling upward. Single leaves are alternate and lanceolate. Parthenogenetically dioecious, with catkins. Capsule. Distribution: Commonly cultivated in various parks in Beijing. Usage: Ornamental tree species, greening.
Edit this paragraph's growth habits
[1] Willow trees like warm and high temperatures, need sufficient sunshine, are drought-tolerant, and are hygroscopically resistant to water and moisture.
Edit this section Characteristics
Shape
Willow
It is a large deciduous tree with slender, soft and drooping branches. It likes wetlands. It can reach 20-30 meters in height and 50-60 centimeters in diameter. It grows rapidly; the bark tissue is thick and longitudinally split, and the center of the old trunk is mostly decayed and hollow. The branches are slender and drooping, brown-green, hairless; the winter buds are linear and densely attached to the branches. The leaves are alternate, linear-lanceolate, 7-15 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, with pointed ends and glandular serrations on the edges. The surface is dark green, the back is greenish-grey, and both sides are smooth and hairless. stipule. The flowers bloom behind the leaves, and the male inflorescences are catkins, with short stems, slightly curved, 1-1.5 cm long. The fruit is a capsule, which has 2 lobes when mature and contains multiple seeds. There is a tuft of wool on the seeds. Propagation by cuttings. It was introduced to Taiwan around the end of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 300 years. It is highly resistant to air pollution and dust and is suitable for growing in urban gardens, especially near pools or streams. Willow can reproduce vegetatively, with willow roots growing mainly. "Willows planted unintentionally will become sprouts." The unparalleled adaptability of willow trees has made it one of the most common tree species for land greening in my country throughout the ages. Many fibrous roots are deeply rooted in the soil, extending in all directions, hugging the earth tightly and providing rich nutrients to the trunk. Willows are not as tall and tall as pine trees, nor are they as upright and unyielding as poplar trees. The main trunk usually sprouts branches at a height of two to three meters. The smooth and soft branches are like silk ribbons and droop. Willow leaves are single and alternate leaves. The leaves are narrow and long but the width is suitable. They are shaped like a girl's slender eyebrows, just like "a whip is like a willow on a face like an eyebrow".
History
Willow is a native tree species in my country. According to research, there were willows in the Shanwang Forest in the Miocene of the Third Period. Pollen analysis in Qingdao, Shandong Province shows that "there were Salix plants near Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao between 11,000 and 8,500 years ago." Willow is also one of the earliest recorded artificial cultivation plants in my country and has the widest distribution range. Prehistoric oracle bone inscriptions The word "willow" has appeared.
Pharmaceutical effects
Aspirin is a drug commonly used by humans with antipyretic and analgesic effects. Its scientific name is acetylsalicylic acid. The invention of aspirin originated from the willow tree that can be seen everywhere. In China and the West, people have known since ancient times that willow bark has miraculous antipyretic and analgesic properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, willow has many medicinal effects.
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Willow flower
Also known as willow tree, it has a cool and soft nature, and can be used as a pillow to soothe and hypnotize the mind. If the willow flower is ground into fine pieces, it can treat jaundice, hemoptysis, vomiting blood, blood in the stool and amenorrhea in women. It can also be used to treat toothache when used externally.
Willow leaves
Willow leaves have the same function as catkins. They are rich in tannins and have the functions of clearing away heat, detoxifying, diuresis and reducing swelling. Decoction in water can treat upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, cystitis, mumps, and pharyngitis. Crush it and apply it externally to treat heel pain.
Willow branch
Willow branch is a traditional bone-setting medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. Decoction in water can treat coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, urinary tract infection, burns, etc. Decoction in water and fumigation has obvious effects on rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis.
Willow root
It can dispel wind and dampness, reduce swelling and relieve pain. It can treat mastitis, toothache, otitis media, jaundice and other diseases. When boiled with wine and taken, it can dispel wind, reduce swelling and relieve pain. Better analgesic effect.
Willow bark
It can remove phlegm and improve eyesight, clear away heat and dispel wind. It can be decoctioned, fumigated and washed to treat scabies.
Willow shavings
It is the moth shavings found in the insect holes of willow trees. It can be used to treat pruritus and dermatitis by boiling it in water and bathing or wrapping it in a hot cloth and ironing it warmly.
Edit this paragraph Distribution
Distribution area
Distribution The general name for Salix plants in the Salicaceae family. There are more than 500 species in the genus, mainly distributed in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. China has 257 species, 120 varieties and
33 variants. The southwest high mountainous area and the three northeastern provinces have the most species, followed by North China and Northwest China. The lower the latitude, the fewer species. The main afforestation tree species include dry willow, weeping willow and white willow.
Image of willow
Willow is light, easy to cut, does not deform after drying, has no special smell, and can be used for construction, pit wood, box boards and match stems; wood fiber With high content, it is a raw material for papermaking and artificial cotton; willow wood and willow branches are good firewood; many kinds of wicker can be used to weave baskets, boxes, hats, etc.; willow leaves can be used as feed for sheep, horses, etc.; nectar plants; for beautiful Ornamental tree species, such as "The Orioles in the Willow Waves" in the West Lake.
Willows are deciduous trees or shrubs, and rarely prostrate small shrubs. Single leaves, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, with serrated margins, short petioles and stipules. Flowers unisexual, dioecious. Capsule 2-lobed, seeds small, hairy. Happy light. It has strong water tolerance and can produce many adventitious roots floating in the water to absorb and transport nutrients when flooded. Willow is highly adaptable to climate and soil. Willow trees grow quickly, have strong germination power, and have a long lifespan. They can become useful in 10 to 20 years. Propagation is mainly by cuttings, but seeds can also be used. Sowing and raising seedlings can overcome the premature aging caused by long-term asexual seedling raising. Seeds should be collected in time and sown as they are collected. Seedlings can be raised by cuttings in spring or autumn. Common diseases include willow rust, leaf stem rot, etc. Pests include poplar fan moth, willow nine-star leaf beetle, willow poison moth, willow gold flower insect, etc.
Willow trees in China
"Willows planted unintentionally will create shade." The unparalleled adaptability of willow trees has made it one of the most common tree species for land greening in my country throughout the ages. Many fibrous roots are deeply rooted in the soil, extending in all directions, hugging the earth tightly and providing rich nutrients to the trunk. Willows are not as tall and tall as pine trees, nor are they as upright and unyielding as poplar trees. The main trunk usually sprouts branches at a height of two to three meters. The smooth and soft branches are like silk ribbons and droop. Willow leaves are single and alternate leaves. The leaves are long and narrow but the width is suitable. They are shaped like a girl's slender eyebrows, just like "a hibiscus is like a face and a willow is like an eyebrow". Willow is a native tree species in my country. According to research, the genus Salix existed in the mountain forests of the Miocene of the Tertiary Period. Pollen analysis in the Qingdao area of ??Shandong Province revealed that "there were plants of the genus Salix near Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao between 11,000 and 8,500 years ago." Willow is also one of the earliest recorded artificial cultivation plants in my country and has the widest distribution range. Prehistoric oracle bone inscriptions The word "willow" has appeared. Willow trees are often used to create headwood forests in northern my country. People use the headwood operation method to repeatedly obtain fuel wood or weaving materials. It is one of the tree species that was first recognized and abundant in ancient my country. For example, you can see the head wood forest of willow trees in TV series such as "Bright Sword" and "Band of Brothers of China". In some places in Gansu, people trim the willow branches harvested during headwood operations, peel them off, bury them in soil and water, and then fill them with water. After a few months, when the soil around the branches turns black, they dig out the branches and dry them in the shade. use. The willow branches treated in this way are used as rafters and will not warp or crack, and will not harbor borers. Another method of cutting willow branches has been found in some places in Gansu. The crown is not cut off, but the branches are cut. The trunk can still grow like a normal tree, and the trunk is deliberately tilted and the branches are added to facilitate climbing operations.
Edit this paragraph An examination of the name of the willow tree
The name of the willow tree comes from the method of working on the head wood of the willow tree. Wood is still an indispensable material for people. In ancient times, the tools were simple and it was very difficult to cut down thick trunks, but it was easier to cut branches two inches thick. Therefore, the wood used by our ancestors was mainly branches about two inches thick. In long-term use, people will find that after the branches of the willow tree are cut, new branches can sprout at the stubble, and the new branches are straight, which is more convenient for use. Among the native tree species in my country, willow has the most outstanding ability to sprout branches. Therefore, the willow tree headwood operation has been formed. The crown of the tree is cut off at a certain height to promote the germination of new branches, and the branches are harvested every few years for use. The result of the headwood operation is to preserve the trunk for continued use of the branches. This is where the willow tree gets its name. The word "liu" has the same pronunciation as the word "liu", and "willow" means "liu tree", which means a type of tree that retains its trunk for reuse. "The Book of Mountains and Seas: Overseas Western Classics" records: "Xingtian competed with the emperor for gods. The emperor cut off his head and buried it on the mountain of Changyang. He used the breasts as his eyes, his navel as his mouth, and he danced with his stems." This story The Xingtian clan in the novel has always been considered by scholars to be a mythological figure made up by the ancients. However, when the author sees the new branches of the willow tree sprouting and swaying in the wind, the author can't help but associate this image of the indomitable Xingtian. Therefore, the author believes that the original shape of Xingtian is a willow tree that has been decapitated, especially a willow tree that is decades old and has a thick trunk that has lost its crown. It is very similar to a human corpse that is still standing upright after being decapitated. Sometimes the trunk will also form some scars. It is also an image of "with breasts as eyes and navel as tongue". Xingtian's story shows that the method of working with willow trees has a long history.