路人丁的抉擇

香椿和臭椿

Choice of Passer-by 「D」

- Aroma vs Stink
如果你習慣看樹牌來辨認樹木，左邊的樹牌與右邊的同是"福氏臭椿"，便會被牌誤導了．1.這兩個樹牌模式不同，不是出自同一時期．看來是第一批人只確認到一棵是福氏臭椿，再來第二批人把另一棵樹也確認為同一種樹．2.左邊的樹牌是"福氏臭椿"，用上舊名，是早期掛牌的一棵．右邊的一棵用上福氏臭椿(常綠臭椿)注i，掛的時候正植香港樹名轉換的交接期，應該是後掛的一棵．再仔細觀察一點，3.樹牌背後的樹皮已顯示它們是是兩棵不同的樹木．

注i：Ailanthus fordii早期名稱是福氏臭椿，後期中文名稱才改為常綠臭椿．

If you are used to identify trees by referring to tree labels, then you will be misled by these two labels which are both marked as 「Ailanthus fordii」.  1. The two tree labels are of different modes.  They were not made in the same  period.  It looks as if the first group could only affirm one tree as Ailanthus fordii.  Then, the second group came along and affirm the other one as the same species.  2.  When we look at the Chinese names of both labels, we can tell that the one on the left is an old name which makes this tree the first to be named.  The right label was believed to be marked during the transitional period of Hong Kong tree naming.  It should be the one which was marked at a later time.  Also, when you look closer, 3.  The bark behind the labels already showed that the two are of different species.

這兩棵樹種在油麻地東方街某酒店門口，看它們的排列，應該是4.刻意的"守"在門口的兩棵"有味"(指香和臭)樹木．掛樹牌的人大意的弄錯了，做成現時的異象．

These two trees are at a hotel entrance in Tung Fong Street, Yaumatei.  Judging from their placement, 4. they should have been deliberately arranged as 「flavored」 (aromatic and/or stinky) trees at either sides of the entrance.  The staff who prepared the labels made a mistake and that』s how the strange incident happened.

楝科
香椿
Toona sinensis

苦木科
福氏臭椿
Ailanthus fordii
圖左正確是楝科的香椿Toona sinensis，圖右是苦木科的福氏臭椿Ailanthus fordii．香椿較為少見，它的嫩葉可食，是出名的菜葉．福氏臭椿較常見，它的畢直的樹形，傘狀的葉序，離老遠已可以辨認出來．

On the left, it is Chinese Mahogany (Toona sinensis) in the Meliaceae family; on the right, it is Ailanthus (Ailanthus fordii) in the Simaroubaceae family.  Chinese Mahogany is not common.  Its leaflets are edible and it is well-known as vegetable tops.  Ailanthus is more popular.  Its distinguishingly straight tree form with umbrella-like leaf arrangement allows you to identify them from afar.

5.香椿（左圖）的右邊樹冠葉片全失．到現場觀察樹腳位置，可以找到有部分根部外露泥面，證實樹的根部出現移位，部分樹根折斷，做成樹冠向後壞死crown die back的現象．6.福氏臭椿(右圖)現在應該是果期階段，樹上找不到果實，這棵樹是雄性的呢．

此樹的問題1-6不難觀察，只要花少許時間思考，大膽假設，小心求證，便可以看到一些端倪．

1,3都是普通觀察，留心一點便見到了．

2,6需要對福氏臭椿有所認識．

4是從2棵樹相似的地方來推斷業主種樹的目的

5是樹藝的知識，從樹冠壞死現象尋找樹根移動的證據．

簡單的2棵樹木便可以引出6個有趣的觀察．網友如果經過油麻地港鐵站時，可以在A2出口到城景國際酒店門口看一看，考一考自己的觀察能力．

5.  The whole right side of the crown of Chinese Mahogany (left) lost all its leaves.  When you look at its foot on site, you can find some of the roots are exposed.  It』s confirmed that its roots are shifted and some roots are broken.  All these lead to crown dieback.  6.  At the time of shooting, Ailanthus (right) should be in its fruiting stage.  However, no fruits could be found.  It』s simply because it』s a male. 

The issues of 1-6 are not difficult to see.  If you spend some time to think, make bold hypothesis and check carefully, some clues can surely be found.

1,3 are general observations which just need a little more attention.

2,6 require knowledge of Ailanthus.

 4 is derived from the similarities of the two trees to speculate the owner』s purpose of planting trees.

5 is knowledge in arboriculture; from crown dieback and then find the proof of root shift. 

Two simple trees can lead to six interesting observations. If you pass by Yau Ma Tei MTR station, you can take A2 exit and go to The Cityview to have a look and test your observation.
作者: Leon Lau, 譯者: Mary Chung

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