Historical notes on Shui Xian—The Chinese sacred lily

Abstract

Abstract:

Shui Xian, or the Chinese sacred lily, is one of the most famous ornamental flowers

in China under cultivation for a long time. Although over a hundred years ago M.

J. Roemer had discovered this charming flower and named Narcissus tazetta L. var.

chinensis, its origin remains a puzzle up to the present day. Some authors considered

it to be indigenous to China, while others held a contrary opinion, presuming that it is

adventitions. However, it is generally recognized that neither argument has been con-

firmed.

In Chinese literature, as we know, the first book that mentions the sacred lily

with a brief description is “You Yang Za Zu” by Duan Cheng-shi (?—863). It notes:

“Nax Zhi (=the sacred lily) came from Fu Lin Guo (now Italy), the root (bulb) as

large as an egg, leaves 4—5 Chi (a unit of lenth, = 1/3 metre) long, garlic-like, scape

from the centre of the leaves with flowers on its summit; flower 6-parted, redish-white

with its centre yellowish-red, sterile; it is growing in winter and becoming dead in sum-

mer.” Though this is evidently not indicative of the plant we deal with here, but of

another breed of sacred lily, it will be seen from this citation that there was no other

plant known as Shui Xian than Nar Zhi in China during that time. The Chinese name

Shui Xian was in fact not found in the ancient Chinese literature until the Song

Dynasty (960—1279), a period in Chinese history leaving us no less than thirty pieces

of well-known poems on this plant, such as “Shui Xian Hum” by Lin Ban (1023—

1089), “Yin Shui Xian” by Huan Ting-jian (1045—1105) and “Fu Shui Xian Hun”

by Zhu Xi (1130—1200). The Chinese sacred lily was very much admired in all these

poems as a very rare and curious flower, then being cultivated mainly in Hunan and

Hubei Provinces. But, unfortunately, no wild sacred lily has been reported from these

provinces ever since.

On the other hand, the Chinese sacred lily has recently been found growing wild in

some places of Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces along the sea coast. But it usually

grows as escaped plant in the places of human presence, for instance, around the temples

or houses ——a fact we gathered from field observations in Zhou Shan Islands off the east

coast of Zhejiang Province. It must be pointed out that almost all the flowers seen

there were: nipped by the frost and, therefore, would be unable to bloom normally. Pro-

bably this is usually the case with it, for early spring, when it comes into blooms, is the

coldest season of the year there. It is interesting to add that of all Chinese taxa of wind

Amaryllidaceae, the Chinese sacred lily is the only member that flowers in such a cold

season. The genus Narcissus is primarily distributed in the Mediterranean region and

Central Europe with a few species extending to Iran, Afganistan and Pakistan. None

but an entity occurs in the coast areas of Eastern Asia. This pattern of discontinuous

distribution is apparently very rare among the angiosperms, which seems to be an

unnatural mode of dispersal. Another important fact is its close resemblance both in

habit and flower feature to some varieties of Mediterranean N. tazetta L., to which it

belongs. And like most of them, the Chinese sacred lily, both wild and domesticated,

is also sterile—a remarkable character usually found in long-cultivated plants.

All the facts, as it appears to us, point to the same conclusion that the Chinese

sacred lily is an exotic plant, possibly introduced from the Mediterranean region before

the Song Dynasty. The early history indicated that the contacts between China and

some European countries were rather frequent particularly during the Tang Dynasty.

For example, from the 17th year of Tang Zhen Guan to the 10th year of Tang Kai Yuan

(A. D. 643—723), Fu Lin Guo (now Italy) had five times dispatched envoys to China.

Since Italy had once introduced a certain sacred lily into China probably as a present

to the emperor, it is very likely that she would have exported to China in other occa-

sions another kind of sacred lily, which was subsequently called Shui (water) Xian

(celestial) by Chinese because of its beauty and water culture.

After its being introduced, the Chinese sacred lily was perhaps first cultivated in

the imperial court and then spreaded to families of the ruling class and scholars. So far

as our knowledge goes, the first poem written in praise of Shui Xian in China is “Yong

Shui Xian Itua” by Chen Juan (?—989). It appeared, in fact, over a hundred years

later than “You Yang Za Zu”. And after another five hundred years or so a botani-

cal book “Ban Cao Hui Bian” by Wan Ji (1522—1566) first reported on this flower.

8o far there has been a considerable number of botanical works in China which also

include this beautiful flower. And, to-day, it has become one of the most popular orna-

mental flowers in this country, especially in the south.

Historically, there were two places in China where Shui Xian had been grown: Ja

Ding in Jiangsu Province and Zhang Zhou in Fujian Province. From the former,

unfortunately, nothing more is heard about the culture of this lovely flower to day.

But the latter remains the main growing centre of Shui Xian in China up to now.

Two clones are commercially propagated there, one with single flowers, and the other

with double flowers, both selling equally well in Chinese New Year festival.

Chen Sing-Chi, Wu Ying-Xiang. Historical notes on Shui Xian—The Chinese sacred lily[J]. .

Historical notes on Shui Xian—The Chinese sacred lily

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