What are the four classic varieties known as the Four Great Kings of Chinese Cymbidium? A full analysis of these classic famous cultivars

Song Mei, Wan Zi, Long Zi, Ji Yuanare the "Four Great Kings" of Chinese Cymbidium.

I. Song Mei

  1. Introduction:

Song Mei, also known as Song Jinxuan Mei, is a traditional famous cultivar of Chinese orchid and the representative variety of the plum-petal flower. This flower was selected by Song Jinxuan of Shaoxing during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty (1736-1795), and its name was formed by combining Song Jinxuan's surname with the plum petal of the flower. Its flower shape is dignified and generous, and it is ranked first among the four great famous varieties of Chinese Cymbidium.

Family: Orchidaceae, perennial herbaceous plant.

Petal type: plum petal

Stock: approximately 600,000 plants

 

2. Price evolution:

20th century:

1950s-1960s: 1-2 yuan/plant

 

1970s: 50 yuan/plant

1980s: 100 yuan/plant

1990s: 120 yuan/plant

21st century:

2000: 120-150 yuan/plant

 

2004: 120-220 yuan/plant

2005: 180-280 yuan/plant

2009: 50-100 yuan/plant

2010: 30-70 yuan/plant

    2011: 50-100 yuan/plant

 

3. Morphology:

Chinese Cymbidium Song Mei and Long Zi are together called the "Twin Treasures of Chinese Orchids." Through more than two hundred years of history, although famous orchids have emerged repeatedly, no plum-petal flower has surpassed it, and it is the quintessential model of the plum-petal flower.

Song Mei leaves are bow-shaped, generally 25 cm-30 cm long and 0.5 cm-1.5 cm wide, with bluntly pointed leaf tips. The leaf texture is medium-thick, the leaf color is dark green with good gloss, the central vein is firm and highly elastic, the leaf posture is semi-drooping, and the leaf margins have fine teeth.

Petal type: Plum-petal flowers, due to differences in budding mutations during cultivation, can open as lotus-type narcissus or plum-type narcissus. The three outer petals are especially tight and round, just like plum blossom petals, with tight edges resembling a white inlay. The color is green, the two columns form a pouch shaped like a silkworm moth, hence called silkworm-moth column. The lip petal is short and round, slightly turned upward. The tip of the lip forms a slight pouch, just like a child's bangs, hence called bangs lip, and the lip has irregular red spots. The bract leaves are pale red; when the orchid plant is strong it often opens double flowers; the flower scape is tall, the leaves are dark green, semi-drooping, with blunt leaf tips, relatively broad leaf width, and glossy leaf surfaces; the beauty of the leaf posture is hard to describe, making it an outstanding famous variety among Chinese Cymbidium plum petals. Together with Wan Zi, Long Zi, and Ji Yuan, it is listed among the "Four Great Kings" of Chinese Cymbidium, and is promoted as the first of the "Four Great Kings."

The three outer petals sometimes open as lotus-form narcissus, or plum-form narcissus. When the orchid plant is robust, it easily produces double buds and twin flowers. The main petal is centered and perfectly round, the side petals are level at the shoulders, the center is round and neat, and the flower appearance is very proper. The flower scape is tall and lofty, sometimes able to rise above the leaf surface. On the bract leaves there are two to three sheath shells; the flower stem has two kinds, white and white with slight red, also caused by bud mutation. Because the time when Song Mei was discovered coincided with the perfection of the theory of petal forms in Chinese orchids, Song Mei was used as the model to define the plum petal and to stipulate the conditions that a plum-petal flower should possess. Song Mei is the typical and representative plum-petal flower. Whether in flower appearance or in spirit and charm, for several hundred years, no matter what type of orchid, no plum-petal flower has been able to surpass Song Mei.

4. Propagation techniques

Song Mei is mostly propagated by division. Once every 4-5 years. Division is mostly carried out before new buds appear, or after flowering and before the onset of winter. Before division, let the potting soil dry, shake off the soil, and cut off old roots and some old leaves. When potting, cover the drainage hole with a small tile, add one layer each of broken brick and coarse sand, with a thickness of 1/5 of the flower pot; then place the divided plant with new buds facing outward and roots spread out in the pot, add soil and gently shake the pot so the soil presses tight, lift the divided plant slightly, and add another layer of culture soil. Finally water, place in a cool place, and after 1-2 weeks move to a semi-shaded place.

5. Management techniques

For potted Song Mei, plant 4-6 plants per pot; when planting, arrange the orchid seedlings evenly and distribute them reasonably, carefully filling in the soil. After potting, water thoroughly, place in a place without direct sunlight and relatively sheltered from wind; after one week it can be moved under the shade of a balcony, then gradually given light. The culture soil is often a mixture of leaf mold, sand, and dry cow dung (4:1:1) or peat soil, sand, and dry cow dung (3:1:1). Use oil residue and chicken manure as base fertilizer. For topdressing use dilute manure water, once a week from May to August. If Song Mei has too many flower scapes, they can be thinned; one flower stalk per clump is enough. After flowering, it is exactly the windy season in the north; at this time prevent dry wind from attacking, protect with plastic film, and water appropriately with fertilizer water. Before repotting, when killing insects, and on cloudy and rainy days, water less; when plants are small and leaves develop black spots, water less. Song Mei has relatively many pests and diseases, and attention should be paid to their control.

After Song Mei produces flowers, it should be kept quiet, given more sun, and watered appropriately; only then can the flowers open with a proud springlike bearing, round and pleasing.

6. Song Mei and orchid culture

      (1) Symbol of personality

Confucius introduced the orchid into Chinese culture, integrating it with traditional Chinese learning, and it was highly esteemed by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, praised as the "king's fragrance" and "ancestor of fragrance," and became the embodiment of the "gentleman" and the "sage."

Traditional culture emphasizes the "uprightness" of all things, such as being "honest and upright" and "proper" in conduct, being "clean and upright" and having "righteous spirit" in officialdom; Chinese martial arts also has the teaching "stand like a pine, sit like a bell, walk like the wind," and Chinese orchids inherit this essence, placing special emphasis on flower appearance being "proper," of "standard form," and rich in spirit and charm.

Because the discovery of Song Mei coincided with the perfection of the theory of petal forms in Chinese orchids, Song Mei became the model for Chinese orchid plum petals due to its supreme floral quality; predecessors used it as the standard, defined the plum petal, and proposed several indicators that a plum-petal flower should possess.

Song Mei is the typical and representative plum-petal flower. Whether in flower appearance or in spirit and charm, for several hundred years, no matter what type of orchid, among plum-petal flowers there is still not one that can surpass Song Mei. Therefore, Song Mei has become the representative of Chinese orchids, deeply embodying the essence of Chinese culture.

Song Mei's three outer petals are especially "tight" and round, just like the petals of plum blossom; the main petal is centered and perfectly round, the side petals are level at the shoulders, the center is drawn tight, and the flower appearance is very proper. The color is green, without mixed colors, and the five petals seem to be inlaid with white edges, corresponding with the white of the lip, making it appear even more elegant. The two columns form a pouch shaped like a silkworm moth, hence called silkworm-moth column.

The lip petal is short and round, slightly pouched upward, just like a child's bangs, also called "bangs lip." On the lip there are irregular red spots, presenting a loyal heart, precisely showing the metaphor of a gentleman.

Whether in flower appearance or in spirit and charm, Song Mei is worthy of being the model and representative of the plum-petal flower. For several hundred years, no matter what type of orchid, among plum-petal flowers not one has been able to surpass Song Mei. As the model of the plum-petal type flower of Chinese Cymbidium, Song Mei is of typical significance for defining the plum petal and stipulating the conditions a plum-petal flower should possess.

The famous orchid expert Liu Qingyong said: "The orchid, though small, is not humble; instead it stands strong and erect, unexpectedly with full spirit and abundant energy, awe-inspiring and dignified, full of vigor, solemn and inviolable; it blooms so ingeniously, so earnestly, making one look with awe." These few sentences summarize the spirit and temperament of the orchid. Within the small five petals, the natural beauty of the orchid and the spirit of the Chinese nation are fully expressed. It embodies the aesthetic norms of traditional Chinese Confucian thought: harmony, balance, conformity to rules, gentle rhythm, and moderate tempo.

 (2) Legend

In the Kuaiji mountainous area of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, there is a small village of forty or fifty households; because the people in the village all had the surname Song, the village was called Songjiadian.

      It is said that during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, there was a businessman in the village named Song Jinxuan. He transported Shaoxing-produced tea, mountain goods, and the like to Hangzhou and Suzhou for sale, and on returning brought back small commodities such as longtou fine cloth from there to Shaoxing. Because business went smoothly, within ten years he gradually expanded from a small-capital operator and shopkeeper into a merchant doing large-scale business, becoming a locally famous wealthy household.

Although Song Jinxuan was a wealthy household, he had been born into poverty, so he was always especially sympathetic to the villagers who had difficulty making a living, often giving out some money and grain to help them, while he himself was unwilling to take up the habits of smoking and drinking, still living that simple life of coarse tea and plain rice, content with himself, and only cultivating orchids and loving orchids became the greatest hobby of his life, often spending heavy sums to obtain a pot of good orchids. His home was in the mountains, where opening the door revealed the mountains, and orchids grew in the great mountains. In spring, whenever he had leisure from business, he would always take a hoe, carry a small bamboo basket on his back, and go up the mountain to collect orchids. But after decades of painstaking searching, he had still not encountered a single good variety of orchid; in his heart he often felt somewhat bitter about this, but he still did not lose heart, hoping that such a day would surely come.

One year, after the Lantern Festival, the earth gradually showed warmth, and the tea trees also began to put forth new green. At night, Song Jinxuan lay alone on the bed and thought of orchids again; he said to himself: "If you want to find orchids, they are everywhere, but how can finding a good one be so difficult? Have I really become the monkey trying to scoop the moon from the water?" Thinking and thinking, he yawned several times in succession, and his mind became hazy... Suddenly, he met an old woman with graying hair, wearing a diagonally buttoned robe with bordered edges, both hands wearing jade bracelets, about sixty-some years old. She led a little girl of fifteen or sixteen to stand before him, politely made an obeisance to him, and said to him: "This girl is my neighbor, with no father or mother, and no one to rely on in life. I know you, sir, sympathize with the hardships of others and delight in doing good, so I want to bring the child to rely on you, sir, to be a maidservant, only asking for food and warmth." After speaking, the old woman's face showed a look of longing, waiting for Song Jinxuan's reply. Song Jinxuan carefully sized up the little girl; although her clothes were ragged, her long oval face with delicate features was properly formed, truly retaining a handsome air, and he could not help but feel moved. He immediately nodded in agreement and said: "Mother, you speak too seriously. I myself also came from a poor family; the poor help the poor, neighbors help neighbors, this is an old saying of our hometown people. Let her be my adopted daughter! Please rest assured, mother." The old woman left the little girl, bowed and made obeisance again and again, expressing endless gratitude. Song Jinxuan also courteously escorted the old woman to the door, cupped his hands, and said goodbye... A few loud spring thunderclaps woke Song Jinxuan; he steadied himself and only then realized that everything that had just happened was actually a dream. Listening to the sound of pattering spring rain, thinking only of the matter in the dream, for a time he found it hard to fall asleep.

A few days later, on a warm and sunny afternoon, Song Jinxuan again went up the mountain to look for orchids. He knew orchids mostly grew on shady slopes, and along the way, although he saw many orchids, they were all common flowers with flower buds thin and pointed like nails, thin bracts of pale color, and narrow leaf width with non-hollow bud tips. He had no choice but to keep crossing one mountain after another. In the great mountains, the spring breeze brushed his face, and the birds sang melodiously, adding a touch of quiet seclusion. Song Jinxuan's interest in seeking orchids was still strong when he looked up and saw that the red sun was already slanting in the western sky. Dragging two tired legs, he slowly walked down the mountain with some disappointment. By carelessness, his foot was tripped by a protruding stone on the mountain path, and he fell flat on his back; fortunately the mountain terrain here was gentle. He slowly got up from the ground. Suddenly he saw a small clump of orchid grass growing among the thorns not far away, trembling in the breeze. He thought it strange that this place had thin soil and poor earth, and by rights should not have orchids, so with some curiosity he went closer to look carefully: in the evening light these orchid leaves were dark green and broad, glossy and shining, each blade curved like an arc, seeming soft yet firm, appearing very forceful. Looking more closely, there was also a plump flower bud shaped like a lotus seed, and his spirits suddenly rose. He thought: after half a day with no harvest, could this now be a good flower? So he rolled up his sleeve, spat into his palm, gripped the mountain hoe, first cleared away the thorns around the orchid, then carefully dug up the orchid, put it into the basket, and quickly went down the mountain, took it home, and planted it in a clay pot. More than ten days passed, and under the urging of spring feeling and spring mood, the orchid slowly extended its flower bud and finally bloomed. The flower shape rose above the orchid leaves, with level shoulders and green stem; the three petals were tender green, tight and round, with pointed tips, and along the edges of the three outer petals was a ring of white line just like drawn with a brush; silkworm-moth column, bangs lip, and the broad, concave, blunt-tipped leaf shape formed one harmonious whole, setting each other off beautifully, elegant like a young girl, graceful and charming. Song Jinxuan knew this flower was truly a supreme plum-petal variety, like obtaining a treasure, overjoyed. He looked at it in the morning, at noon; in the daytime, and at night under the lamp he still looked, and still felt he could not look enough. Suddenly he remembered the dream from half a month earlier, and always felt there was something strange about it... "Oh!" He suddenly understood: this orchid's leaf shape and flower shape were so lovely, were they not exactly the little girl seen in the dream?

  From then on, Song Jinxuan cultivated this pot of orchid even more meticulously, letting it continuously grow strong, multiply, and reproduce, and named this orchid "Song Mei" after his own surname. More than two hundred years have passed, and orchid growers and orchid collectors in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas have one after another found many new plum-petal species, but compared with Song Mei, they always appear inferior; Song Mei has always been the outstanding one among plum petals, and is the typical representative of the plum petal.

(3) Related poems

Poem one:

Strange grass of the Yaochi opens five blessings

Topping spring plum for several hundred years

An inch of loyal heart fragrant for ten thousand generations

Poem two:

On Kuaiji Mountain emerges the plum champion,

Below Shaoxing city Jinxuan planted it.

Through wind and rain several hundred times,

Open and upright, its face has not declined.

Fragrance passes through a thousand mountains with one fragrant heart,

Flowers fall upon ten thousand households as five grades open.

Even if tissue culture multiplies like leeks,

One still sees the old pot come from the Song residence.