Detailed Explanation of the Differences and Care Methods for Several Similar Flowers
Among the many flower varieties, some flowers have very similar forms, and without careful distinction, ordinary people find it hard to tell them apart. Here is a brief introduction to how to distinguish several common yet similar flowers, for reference only.
Petunia and morning glory. Although petunia and morning glory have similar names, and their flower shapes and fruit shapes are also the same, they are not related by kinship. The differences between the two are quite obvious: petunia is a plant of the genus Petunia in the Solanaceae family, a perennial herb with a plant height of only 40-60 cm, blooming from April to the first frost, and is a good material for flower beds and pot cultivation; while morning glory belongs to the genus Ipomoea in the Convolvulaceae family, an annual twining herb whose stems climb and can grow to about 3 m, blooming from June to October, suitable for trellis cultivation and for greening roofs and corridors.
Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) and night-blooming cestrum (Telosma cordata). Although both bloom and release fragrance in the evening, they are not the same. Telosma cordata is an annual herbaceous flower that blooms and sets seed in the same year. Cestrum nocturnum, however, is an evergreen, shrub-like tropical aromatic plant with cylindrical, yellow-green flowers and a strong fragrance.
East azalea, West azalea, Hairy azalea and Summer azalea. All four azaleas are deciduous azaleas, all tolerant of cold and afraid of heat, and all require fertile, slightly acidic soil. But they have many differences: East azalea and Summer azalea belong to Japanese azaleas, Hairy azalea belongs to Chinese azaleas, and West azalea belongs to Western azaleas. In terms of morphology, East azalea is short, 1 to 2 m tall, with scattered branches; Hairy azalea is tall, 2 to 3 m tall, growing vigorously, with young branches densely covered in brown bristles; West azalea is short and sturdy with a compact crown; Summer azalea is small in size, with slender branches and leaves, dense branching, and a full yet neat crown. In terms of leaf shape, East azalea has thin, pale leaves with few hairs and a slight gloss; Hairy azalea has large, long, rough and hairy leaves; West azalea has thick, dark green leaves with few hairs, and leaf shapes include smooth-leaf, pointed-leaf, twisted-leaf, long-leaf and broad-leaf types. Summer azalea has narrow, small leaves arranged densely. In terms of flowers, East azalea has the smallest flowers, blooming in April, with dense flowering, single petals or tubular petals formed from petaloid sepals, and many flower colors; Hairy azalea has large single-petaled flowers in a broad funnel shape, rarely double, with colors generally red, purple, pinkish white and variegated; West azalea has the most beautiful flowers among azaleas, blooming from April to May; Summer azalea blooms on old wood before new growth, with a flowering period from mid-to-late May to mid-June, and its flower colors and petals are the same as those of West azalea.
Chinese rose, rose and rugosa rose. The three are sister flowers of the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family, similar in form, but they can be distinguished by their leaves: Chinese rose leaflets are generally 3-5, with a flat and relatively smooth leaf surface; rose leaflets are 5-9, with toothed leaf margins and soft hairs on the underside of the leaf, not wrinkled; rugosa rose leaflets are also 5-9, but the leaves are thicker, wrinkled, with sunken veins and white hairs on the underside.
Begonia and crabapple. Begonia and crabapple have similar names, and both are pleasing in color and charm, but the two have nothing in common in morphology, family and genus, or application. Begonia is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Begoniaceae family, with underground tubers and upright aboveground stems, about 50 cm tall. It blooms year-round, most abundantly in autumn, with white, pink and other flowers. It likes moisture, avoids direct sunlight, and fears drought and waterlogging, and is mainly used as a flowering ground cover in shaded warm areas, for flower bed planting, and as a potted flower. Crabapple is a deciduous small tree of the Rosaceae family. It blooms in spring, with 5-7 flowers clustered in umbel-like groups, red before opening and gradually turning pink after opening. It likes light and has strong adaptability. It is mainly used for landscaping planting and making bonsai.
Ti plant and dragon tree. Both belong to the Agavaceae family, and they are also similar in morphology. Their obvious differences are: the ti plant has an upright stem, usually unbranched, forming a clumping habit, with leaves clustered at the top of the stem; the dragon tree has a branched plant, with leaves clustered at the tips of the branches, sword-shaped and dark green. The most obvious difference between the two is that the color of their root systems is different: the ti plant's is white, while the dragon tree's root system is yellow.