A Detailed Explanation of the Flower Language, Symbolism and Legend of the Mucuna Birdwoodiana
Mucuna birdwoodiana is a national second-class protected plant in China, also known as white flower oil hemp vine, flower oil hemp vine, sparrow flower, etc. It is an evergreen, large woody climbing plant of the genus Mucuna in the tribe Phaseoleae of the family Fabaceae (Papilionaceae), native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and cultivated throughout southern China, often climbing on trees and shrubs, with considerable ornamental value. Now let us take a look at the flower language and legend of the Mucuna birdwoodiana!
The Flower Language of the Mucuna Birdwoodiana
Cheerfulness, happiness. When the Mucuna birdwoodiana blooms, it grows ring after ring, cluster after cluster of string-like flower spikes around the vine. The shape of the flower spikes closely resembles plump sparrow-like birds. When the flowers are at their most abundant, the sparrows in all their varied forms present an overall scene of “a hundred birds paying homage to the branches”. Every time one views this scene, heartfelt cheerfulness and happiness overflow from within, and this feeling is the flower language it conveys.
The Legend of the Mucuna Birdwoodiana
It is said that one morning, Tieguai Li, one of the Eight Immortals of the Ming Dynasty, was wandering at leisure to Gongkeng Temple. While passing by a farmland, he saw flocks of sparrows joyfully flying back and forth among the rice fields, stealing and eating the rice grain. Seeing this scene, the farmer picked up a broom and drove them from one end of the field to the other, but before the broom could land, the sparrows landed again. The farmer had no way to deal with it and could only watch helplessly as half a year's harvest was ravaged freely by the sparrows, tears streaming down his old face.
Tieguai Li, standing up for the farmer, casually found a vine, used the magic arts possessed by the Eight Immortals to bind these arrogant sparrows onto the vine, and then hung the vine string by string onto the trees, only letting them fly out around Qingming, when the previous year's grain was exhausted and the new crop had not yet ripened -- Flower Language and Legend of the Mucuna Birdwoodiana, Flower Encyclopedia. From then on, there were no more hateful rice-stealing sparrows, but instead there were the endearing Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers.
The Uses of the Mucuna Birdwoodiana
1. Ornamental value: The vines of the Mucuna birdwoodiana stay green all year round, and the flowers change color when blooming. It is widely planted in many scenic areas. Whether as large-scale plantations in scenic areas or as potted plants at home, it has been warmly welcomed by the vast number of flower enthusiasts.
2. Edible value: Fresh Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers have a peculiar, sweet fragrance and can be prepared in many ways, such as crispy fried Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers, blanched Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers, Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers in superior broth, cold-dressed Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers, etc. However, Mucuna birdwoodiana is cold in nature, so when cooking, especially when making soup, the central stamen should be removed.
3. Medicinal value: The stems of the Mucuna birdwoodiana can be used medicinally, with the effects of strengthening bones, promoting circulation through the tendons, and enriching the blood. Dried Mucuna birdwoodiana flowers used as medicine are a very good remedy for reducing internal heat and clearing heat. However, it should be noted that the seeds of the Mucuna birdwoodiana are poisonous, and contact with and consumption of them should be avoided.