Latest Detailed Overview of Chrysanthemum Place of Origin and Distribution
The place of origin of the chrysanthemum is China. Chrysanthemums have been cultivated in China for more than 3000 years. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Chrysanthemum in the Asteraceae family, widely distributed in towns and rural areas across China, and is now cultivated worldwide. It is one of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum). Let us take a look at the place of origin and distribution of chrysanthemums below!
Place of Origin and Distribution of Chrysanthemums
The places of origin of chrysanthemums are found throughout the towns and rural areas of China, especially flourishing in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Kaifeng, Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, Xiangtan, Xi'an, Shenyang, Guangzhou, and Xiaolan Town in Zhongshan City.
Around the 8th century, ornamental chrysanthemums were introduced from China to Japan and were revered as the motif of the Japanese national emblem. Toward the end of the 17th century, Dutch merchants introduced Chinese chrysanthemums to Europe, in the 18th century they were introduced to France, and in the mid-19th century they were introduced to North America. Thereafter, Chinese chrysanthemums spread throughout the world.
Place of Origin Environment of Chrysanthemums
1. Chrysanthemums are highly adaptable, prefer cool conditions, and are relatively cold-tolerant. The optimum growth temperature is 18~21 degrees, the maximum growth temperature is 32 degrees, the minimum is 10 degrees, and the underground rhizomes generally tolerate low temperatures down to minus 10 degrees.
2. Chrysanthemums prefer loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil, and can grow in soils ranging from slightly acidic to neutral. They should not be continuously cropped.
3. Chrysanthemums are short-day flowers and have a certain resistance to toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide and chlorine.
Original Varieties of Chrysanthemums
1. Wild chrysanthemum: The wild chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 0.25-1 m tall, with long or short underground stolons. The stems and branches are sparsely hairy, with slightly more or more hairs on the upper part and on the inflorescence branches. The basal leaves and lower leaves fall off during the flowering period. The middle stem leaves are ovate, long-ovate, or elliptic-ovate, pinnately parted, shallowly lobed, or indistinctly divided with shallow serrations along the margins. The petiole base is without auricles or has divided leaf auricles. Both surfaces are the same color or nearly the same color, light green. The capitulum is 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, mostly arranged at the tips of stems and branches in loose corymbose panicles, or a few arranged at the stem tip in corymbs. The involucral bracts are about 5 layers; the outer layer is ovate or ovate-triangular, the middle layer is ovate, and the inner layer is long-elliptic, 11 mm long. All bracts have white or brown broad membranous margins, with blunt or rounded tips. The ligulate flowers are yellow, with entire or 2-3-toothed tips. The achene is 1.5-1.8 mm long. The flowering period is June to November.
2. Sweet chrysanthemum: The sweet chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 0.3-1.5 m tall, with underground stolons. The stems are erect, mostly branched above the middle, or only the upper part has corymbose inflorescence branches. The basal and lower leaves fall off during the flowering period. The middle stem leaves are ovate, broadly ovate, or elliptic-ovate. They are bipinnately divided. All leaves are the same color or nearly the same color on both surfaces. The petiole base has divided leaf auricles or is without auricles. The capitula are usually numerous at the tips of stems and branches, arranged in loose or slightly dense compound corymbs. The involucre is dish-shaped, with about 5 layers of involucral bracts. The middle and inner layers are ovate, long-elliptic to oblanceolate, and all bracts have rounded tips with white or light brown membranous margins. The ligulate flowers are yellow, the ligules elliptic, with entire tips or 2-3 indistinct teeth. The achene is 1.2-1.5 mm long. The flowering and fruiting period is May to November.
3. Small red chrysanthemum: The small red chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 15-60 cm tall, with underground creeping rhizomes. The stems are erect or curved at the base, branching from the base or middle, but usually only with corymbose inflorescence branches at the stem tip. The middle stem leaves are reniform, semicircular, nearly circular, or broadly ovate, usually 3-5 palmately or palmate-pinnately shallowly lobed or parted, with all lobe margins blunt-toothed, sharp-toothed, or aristate-toothed. The basal leaves and lower stem leaves are the same shape as the middle stem leaves but smaller; the capitula are few (about 3) to numerous (about 12), arranged at the tips of stems and branches in loose corymbs, rarely solitary at the stem tip. The involucre is dish-shaped; the involucral bracts are 4-5 layers. All bracts have white or brown membranous margins. The ligulate flowers are white, pink, or purple, and the ligules are long with 2-3 toothed tips. The achene is 2 mm long, obliquely truncate at the tip, narrowed below, with 4-6 veined ribs. The flowering and fruiting period is July to October.