Introduction to the Jiulong Mei Chunlan Variety and Key Care Points

In 2000, Xu Zhan and Fang Jun found it on Jiulongyuan Mountain within Jiande City, Zhejiang Province, hence the name Jiulong Mei. It is a treasure discovered in Jiande in recent years. The plant type is upright, the leaf width is medium, the leaf stalks are tightly constricted, the leaf color is relatively dark, the marginal teeth are fine and dense, wavy ridges are sometimes seen on the leaf surface, the leaf tips are pointed, and the leaf ends have an abruptly tapered, fine appearance. The flower stalk is relatively tall, but because the plant type is relatively tall and upright, the flowers do not easily rise above the leaves. The three outer petals of Jiulong Mei are thick and full, with petal tips rounded and closed like a spoon, a fine constricted base, good tight edges, and petal edges near the base appearing like translucent jade pendants, with an extremely crystalline texture. Slight leech-like veins appear in the petals, making the petal texture thick and full while also feeling crisp and hard. The semi-hard silkworm-moth pollinia, the two pollinia often show a form of separated heads and joined backs, and the ru yi tongue spreads outward rather than hanging down. Slightly drooping shoulders, the flower shape is somewhat small, and the overall coordination formed by the broad, rounded, closed outer three petals and the somewhat tightly knit center is not ideal; this is the flaw of this flower. Yet the flaw does not obscure the virtue: with the thickness of the petal texture of Jiulong Mei, the emerald green of the petal color, the clear and beautiful luster, and the excellent flower retention, Jiulong Mei is fully worthy of its place as an outstanding among the new plum-petal flowers of Chunlan.