Table 1 Characteristics of ornamental plants associated with Buddhist figures in China
From: Ornamental plants associated with Buddhist figures in China
No. | Scientific name | Family name | Vernacular name | Buddhist figures and associated characteristics | Use(s) | Type | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Saraca asoca (Roxb.) W.J.de Wilde | Fabaceae | Wu you shu 无忧树 | Buddha was born under the Asoka tree | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen tree | Tropical Asia |
2 | Saraca dives Pierre | Fabaceae | Zhong guo wu you shu 中国无忧树 | Diversified species as the Asoka tree | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen tree | Southeast Asia |
3 | Sapindus saponaria L | Sapindaceae | Wu huan zi 无患子 | Substitute for the Asoka tree | Ornamental, medicinal | Deciduous tree | SE Asia and Japan |
4 | Ficus religiosa L | Moraceae | Pu ti shu 菩提树 | Buddha Enlighted under the Bodhi tree | Ornamental | Evergreen tree | Himalayas, S and E Asia |
5 | Syringa reticulata (Blume) H. Hara | Oleaceae | Bao ma ding xiang 暴马丁香 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, perfume | Deciduous shrub or small tree | N, NE and NW China |
6 | Syringa oblata Lindl | Oleaceae | Ding xiang 丁香 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental | Deciduous shrub or small tree | N, NE and NW China |
7 | Ginkgo biloba L | Ginkgoaceae | Yin xing 银杏 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, medicinal, edible, timber | Deciduous tree | E China |
8 | Celtis bungeana Bl | Ulmaceae | Pu shu 朴树 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental | Deciduous tree | China and N Korea |
9 | Tilia mongolica Maxim | Tiliaceae | Meng duan 蒙椴 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, nectar source | Deciduous tree | N and NE China |
10 | Tilia miqueliana Maxim | Tiliaceae | Nan jing duan 南京椴 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, nectar source | Deciduous tree | E China and Japan |
11 | Tilia henryana var. subglabra V.Engl | Tiliaceae | Nuo mi duan 糯米椴 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, nectar source | Deciduous tree | C, N and NE China |
12 | Catalpa bungei C. A. Mey | Bignoniaceae | Qiu 楸 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, medicinal, edible, timber | Deciduous tree | C and N China |
13 | Ficus virens Aiton | Moraceae | Huang ge shu 黄葛树 | Substitute for the Bodhi tree | Ornamental, medicinal, edible | Deciduous tree | S and SE Asia |
14 | Shorea robusta C. F. Gaertner | Dipterocarpaceae | Suo luo shu 娑罗树 | Buddha was nirvana under the Sal tree | Ornamental, perfume, medicinal, timber | Deciduous tree | India and Malay Peninsula |
15 | Aesculus chinensis Bunge | Hippocastanaceae | Qi ye shu 七叶树 | Substitute for the Sal tree | Ornamental, medicinal | Deciduous tree | C and E China |
16 | Couroupita guianensis Aubl | Lecythidaceae | Pao dan shu 炮弹树 | Substitute for the Sal tree | Ornamental, medicinal, perfume | Evergreen tree | S America and S Caribbean |
17 | Annona squamosa L | Annonaceae | Fo tou guo 佛头果 | Fruit looks like Buddha's head | Fruit, ornamental, medicinal, papermaking | Deciduous small tree | Tropical Americas |
18 | Larryleachia cactiformis (Hook.) Plowes | Apocynaceae | Fo tou yu佛头玉 | Succulent stem looks like the spiral hair of Buddha’s head | Ornamental | Perennial succulent herb | S Africa, Namibia |
19 | Phyllostachys edulis “Heterocycla” | Poaceae | Fo mian zhu 佛面竹 | Trunk looks like Buddha's face | Ornamental, artwork materials | Arbor or shrubby bamboo | C and E China |
20 | Jatropha podagrica Hook | Euphorbiaceae | Fo du shu 佛肚树 | Trunk looks like Buddha’s belly | Ornamental, medicinal | Deciduous shrub | C America |
21 | Brachychiton rupestris (Lindl.) K. Schum | Malvaceae | Ao zhou fo du shu 澳洲佛肚树 | Trunk looks like Buddha’s belly | Ornamental | Deciduous or semi-deciduous tree | Australia |
22 | Bambusa ventricosa McClure | Poaceae | Fo du zhu 佛肚竹 | Trunk looks like Buddha’s belly | Ornamental | Arbor or shrubby bamboo | S China |
23 | Citrus medica “Fingered” | Rutaceae | Fo shou 佛手 | Fruit looks like Buddha's hand | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen tree or shrub | S China |
24 | Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz | Cucurbitaceae | Fo shou gua 佛手瓜 | Fruit looks like Buddha's hand | Vegetable, ornamental, medicinal | Perennial grass vine | Mexico |
25 | Sedum lineare Thunb | Crassulaceae | Fo jia cao 佛甲草 | Leaf looks like Buddha's fingernail | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial succulent herb | C, S, SW and SE China |
26 | Nymphaea tetragona Georgi | Nymphaeaceae | Shui lian 睡莲 | Associated with Buddha’s lotus throne | Ornamental | Perennial aquatic herb | Tropical SE Asia |
27 | Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn | Nelumbonaceae | Lian/He hua 莲/荷花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, edible, medicinal | Perennial aquatic herb | Tropical Asia |
28 | Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep | Zingiberaceae | Jiang he hua 姜荷花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental | Perennial bulbous herb | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
29 | Musella lasiocarpa (Franchet) C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li | Musaceae | Di yong jin lian 地涌金莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, edible, medicinal | Perennial herb | Yunnan, China |
30 | Lirianthe delavayi (Franchet) N. H. Xia & C. Y. Wu | Magnoliaceae | You tan hua 优昙花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen tree | SW China |
31 | Manglietia insignis (Wall.) Blume | Magnoliaceae | Hong hua mu lian 红花木莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal, timber | Evergreen tree | SW China, N Myanmar, and Thailand |
32 | Camellia reticulata Lindl | Theaceae | Dian shan cha 滇山茶 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, oil | Evergreen tree | SW China |
33 | Protea cynaroides L | Proteaceae | Pu ti hua 菩提花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen shrub | S Africa |
34 | Clematis florida Thunb | Ranunculaceae | Tie xian lian 铁线莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal | Herbaceous vine | China and Japan |
35 | Tropaeolum majus L | Tropaeolaceae | Han jin lian 旱金莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal, edible | Semi-creeping herb | S America |
36 | Trollius chinensis Bunge | Ranunculaceae | Jin lian hua 金莲花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal | Annual or perennial herb | N and NE China |
37 | Passiflora caerulea L | Passifloraceae | Xi fan lian 西番莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental | Perennial herbaceous vine | Tropical America |
38 | Passiflora coccinea Aubl | Passifloraceae | Hong hua xi fan lian 红花西番莲 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental, medicinal, edible | Perennial evergreen climbing woody vine | Les islands |
39 | Echeveria secunda Booth ex Lindl | Crassulaceae | Shi lian hua 石莲花 | Diversified species with lotus throne | Ornamental | Perennial evergreen succulent herb | Tropical America |
40 | Senecio rowleyanus H. Jacobsen | Asteraceae | Fo zhu 佛珠 | Leaves look like Bodhi beads | Ornamental | Perennial evergreen creeping succulent herb | S Africa |
41 | Phyllostachys sulphurea (Carr.) A. et C. Riv | Poaceae | Jin zhu 金竹 | Associated with Buddha’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental, papermaking, edible | Arbor or shrubby bamboo | C China |
42 | Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Fenzi) Makino | Poaceae | Fang zhu 方竹 | Associated with Buddha’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental, walking sticks, edible | Shrubby bamboo | S and SW China |
43 | Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda Hsueh & T. P. Yi ex Ohrnberger | Poaceae | Qiong zhu 筇竹 | Associated with Buddha’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental, walking sticks, edible | Shrubby bamboo | SW China |
44 | Sempervivum tectorum L | Crassulaceae | Guan yin lian 观音莲 | Associated with the lotus throne of Bodhisattva Guanyin | Ornamental | Perennial evergreen succulent herb | Caucasus in Europe and Asia |
45 | Phyllostachys nigra (Lodd.) Munro | Poaceae | Zi zhu 紫竹 | Associated with Guanyin’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental, artwork materials | Arbor or shrubby bamboo | C and S China |
46 | Bambusa multiplex var. riviereorum R.Maire | Poaceae | Guan yin zhu 观音竹 | Diversified species with Guanyin’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental | shrubby bamboo | S China |
47 | Rhapis excelsa (Thunb.) Henry ex Rehd | Arecaceae | Zong zhu 棕竹 | Diversified species with Guanyin’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental | Evergreen shrub | SE Asia |
48 | Dracaena sanderiana Sander | Asparagaceae | Fu gui zhu 富贵竹 | Diversified species with Guanyin’s bamboo monastery | Ornamental | Evergreen subshrub | Tropical Africa and Asia |
49 | Salix babylonica L | Salicaceae | Chui liu 垂柳 | Associated with the holy branches in Guanyin’s bottle | Ornamental, medicinal, timber | Deciduous tree | C China |
50 | Salix matsudana Koidz | Salicaceae | Han liu 旱柳 | Associated with the holy branches in Guanyin’s bottle | Ornamental, medicinal, timber, forage | Deciduous tree | China, Korea, and Japan |
51 | Tamarix chinensis Lour | Tamaricaceae | Cheng liu 柽柳 | Associated with the holy branches in Guanyin’s bottle | Ornamental, medicinal | Deciduous tree | Mongolia, NW and N China |
52 | Reineckea carnea (Andrews) Kunth | Liliaceae | Ji xiang cao 吉祥草 | Associated with the holy branches in Guanyin’s bottle | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial evergreen herb | C, E, SW China, and Japan |
53 | Alocasia macrorrhizos (Linnaeus) G. Don | Araceae | Di shui guan yin 滴水观音 | Associated with the holy branches in Guanyin’s bottle | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial evergreen herb | S America |
54 | Ceiba chodatii (Hassl.) Ravenna | Malvaceae | Mi le shu 弥勒树 | Trunk looks like Bodhisattva Maitreya | Ornamental | Deciduous tree | Tropical S America |
55 | Crinum asiaticum var. sinicum (Roxb.ex Herb.) Baker | Amaryllidaceae | Wen shu lan 文殊兰 | Name is homonymous to Bodhisattva Manjushri | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial herb | Indonesia, Sumatra |
56 | Gloriosa superba L | Colchicaceae | Jia lan 嘉兰 | Name is homonymous to Bodhisattva Sangharama | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial climbing herb | Tropical Asia and Africa |
57 | Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet | Podocarpaceae | Luo han song 罗汉松 | Seed and its handle looks like Arhat | Ornamental, medicinal | Evergreen tree | China and Japan |
58 | Podocarpus forrestii Craib et W. W. Smith | Podocarpaceae | Da li luo han song 大理罗汉松 | Seed and its handle looks like Arhat | Ornamental | Evergreen herb | Dali of China |
59 | Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex Lu et Z. Y. Zhang | Cucurbitaceae | Luo han guo 罗汉果 | Root looks like Arhat | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial climbing herb | S China |
60 | Musa basjoo Sieb. et Zucc | Musaceae | Ba jiao 芭蕉 | Name is homonymous to Arhat Plantain | Ornamental, medicinal | Perennial herb | Ryukyu islands |