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What is the national flower of Finland?
The national flower of Finland is the lily of the valley, which symbolizes purity and happiness.
Lily of the valley (scientific name: Convallaria majalis Linn.) is also known as Junying grass, lily of the valley, and bellflower. The smell is sweet, and the whole plant is poisonous. Perennial herb. The plant is short, the whole plant is glabrous, and there are many branched and creeping flat rhizomes underground. Glossy. They hug each other in a sheath shape, and there are several sheath-like membranous scales at the base. Leaves elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, flowers bell-shaped, drooping, raceme, bracts lanceolate, membranous, style shorter than perianth. In autumn, it bears spherical dark red berries, poisonous, with oval seeds inside, which are flat. The flowering and fruiting period is from May to July.
Lily of the valley is native to the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, and it is distributed wildly in Europe, Asia, North America, Northeast China, and North China at an altitude of 850-2500 meters.
The whole lily of the valley can be used as medicine. After the fruit is ripe in summer, the whole plant is harvested, the soil is removed, and it is dried in the sun. It has the effect of strengthening the heart and diuresis. For congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, left heart failure caused by hypertension and nephritis. However, since all parts of the lily of the valley are highly toxic, do not take it without the guidance of a professional physician. Adverse reactions of poisoning often manifest as abdominal pain, vomiting, decreased heart rate, blurred vision, dizziness, skin rash and so on.
Morphological characteristics
Lily of the valley is a perennial herb, all of which are glabrous, 18-30 cm high, and often grow in flakes. Leaves elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 7-20 cm long, 3-8.5 cm wide, apex nearly acute, base cuneate; petiole 8-20 cm long.
Scapes 15-30 cm high, slightly curved; bracts lanceolate, shorter than pedicels; pedicels 6-15 mm long, with joints near the top, falling off from joints when fruit is ripe; flowers white, 5-5 in length and width 7 mm; lobes ovate-triangular, apex acute, with 1 vein; filaments slightly shorter than anthers, expanding toward base, anthers nearly oblong; style columnar, 2.5-3 mm long. Berries 6-12 mm in diameter, red when ripe, slightly drooping.
Seeds oblate or biconvex, with fine reticulate surface, 3 mm in diameter. The flowering period is from May to June, and the fruiting period is from July to September.
Growth habit
Nature likes semi-shady, humid environment, very cool, avoid hot and dry, resistant to severe cold, requires rich humus loam and sandy loam. Humid places or ditch sides under forests on shady slopes, 850-2500 meters above sea level.
Lily of the valley and lilac cannot be placed together, otherwise the lilac will wilt quickly, even if the distance is 20 cm, if the lily of the valley is removed, the lilac will return to its original state;
Lily of the valley cannot be put together with daffodils, otherwise both sides will suffer.
Culture
The beauty of lily of the valley is loved by the naturally romantic French. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the favored lily of the valley has had its own festival, and every May 1st is the “lily of the valley Festival” in France.
The British are also big fans of lily of the valley. “Lily of the valley” is the common name for lily of the valley. In addition, lily of the valley is also called “lady’s tears” in the UK.
In China, “Lily of the Valley” is called “Junyingcao”. .
