洋紫荊不姓洋

Interesting Tree Names

-         What is the real name of 「Bauhinia」?

洋紫荊在1965年成為香港市花，1997成為香港區徽．2005年證實為紅花羊蹄甲B. purpurea和宮粉羊蹄甲B. variegata的混種．

洋紫荊是香港最常見的樹木，市區公園，路邊，郊區都有種植，甚至區旗，錢幣，旅遊地點，也有它的標誌．理論上，它的名字應該難不到普羅大眾．

翻查洋紫荊的資料時，出現以下的名稱：

• 洋紫荊(香港人常用的名字)
• Bauhinia x blakeana（雜交種以x來區別）
• Bauhinia 'Blakeana'（天然雜交種下的培植種）
• 紫荊花（基本法上的名稱）
• 艷紫荊（台灣版的洋紫荊）
• Bauhinia blakeana（雙名法下的名字）
• Hong Kong Orchid Tree(英文名稱)
• Bauhinia purpurea x variegata 'Blakeana', cv. nov(2004年學者提出的新名字)

蝴蝶在洋紫荊 ，蝴蝶在Bauhinia 'Blakeana'， 蝴蝶在紫荊花， 蝴蝶在艷紫荊， 蝴蝶在Bauhinia blakeana，蝴蝶在Bauhinia x blakeana，蝴蝶在Hong Kong Orchid Tree．蝴蝶只有一隻，樹也只有一棵．洋紫荊在百多年前被發現後，出現過不同的名字，也便形成一個混亂的情況．

洋紫荊的學名是什麼呢？小學生的答案是Bauhinia blakeana已可以接受，大學生的答案便要答Bauhinia x blakeana才算是正確了．

洋紫荊的最新名字Bauhinia x blakeana是參考2008年3月版的香港植物誌．

Bauhinia (Bauhinia x blakeana) was adopted as the floral emblem of Hong Kong in 1965.  Since 1997 the flower also appears on the SAR flag.  In 2005 it was verified as the hybrid of Bauhinia B. purpurea and Bauhinia variegate. 

Bauhinia is the most common trees in Hong Kong.  You can see them in urban parks, road sides, suburbs, and even regional flag, coins, logos in many sightseeing spots.  Theoretically, its name should be nothing puzzling to us all. 

Thumbed through all the information on Bauhinia and found the following names:
． Bauhinia (commonly called by us)
． Bauhinia x blakeana (to distinguish hybrids with 「x」)
． Bauhinia 'Blakeana' (natural hybrid species under cultivation)

． 紫荊花( as stated in The Basic Law.  「洋」 means "foreign" in Chinese, and this may be deemed inappropriate by the PRC government and that's why it is dropped in The Basic Law.)

． Yan Bauhinia (Taiwan version and 「Yan」 means colorful)
． Bauhinia blakeana (under the binomial system)
． Hong Kong Orchid Tree (English name)
． Bauhinia purpurea x variegata 'Blakeana', cv. nov (a new name brought up by the scholar in 2004) 

「Butterfly in Bauhinia」; 「butterfly in Bauhinia 'Blakeana'」, 「butterfly in紫荊花」;  「 butterfly in Yan Bauhinia」; butterfly in Bauhinia blakeana」;  「butterflies in Bauhinia x blakeana」 ; 「butterflies in Hong Kong Orchid Tree」….  There are actually only one butterfly and only one tree.  Bauhinia was discovered more than a century ago.  There have been quite a number of different names and is quite confusing.

What is the botanical name of Bauhinia? If a primary student replies 「Bauhinia blakeana」, it』s acceptable.  However, if you are more senior, the correct answer should be Bauhinia x blakeana. 

It is the latest name according to the March 2008 edition of 「The Flora of Hong Kong」.

translated by Mary Chung

在城門標本林找到洋紫荊的傳意牌

洋紫荊Bauhinia x blakeana

宮粉羊蹄甲

Bauhinia variegata

紅花羊蹄甲

Bauhinia purpurea

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