The Chinese rice flower symbolises abundance, wealth and prosperity, writes Elaine Yim
THE Chinese rice flower was a must-have in my late grandmother’s garden. It was her favourite. She was particularly fond of its delicate, refined fragrance and regarded it as an auspicious plant because its little flowers looked like rice grains, which symbolise abundance, wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture.
When our home is well-stocked with rice, we will never go hungry.
This plant is easy to grow and needs little maintenance. You will be rewarded with a beautiful fragrance that lasts the whole day.
PLANT PROFILE:
Scientific name: Aglaia odorata
Family: Meliaceae (mahogany family)
Common names: Chinese Rice Flower, Chinese Perfume Plant, Mock Lime
Malay name: Telur Belangkas, Bebak, Chulan, Pacar Culan, Pacar Cina,
Chinese name: mi zi lan meaning little rice orchid (flower)
The genus name Aglaia is derived from the Greek word for shining beauty. Aglaia is also the name of a goddess in Greek mythology. The specific epithet odorata is derived from the Latin word meaning fragrant.
There are about 400 species of flowering plants in this genus, most of which are native to Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific.
Meliaceae is a family of about 50 genera and 600 species of flowering trees and shrubs native to the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Examples are the mahogany timber trees (Swietenia spp), African mahogany trees (Khaya senegalensis and Khaya ivorensis), neem tree (Azadirahta indica) and our local fruit tree Lansium domesticum with its varieties of duku, langsat and langsat hutan (wild langsat).
THE PLANT
Aglaia odorata is a bushy perennial shrub native to Indo-China and South China. It can grow to 3m tall. The leaves are compound and pinnately arranged. Each compound leaf measures 5-12cm long and has between three and five leaflets. The leaflets are small, oval shaped and yellow green.
Flowering occurs on and off the whole year round. Flowers start as green buds and mature to a bright yellow. They are tiny but intensely fragrant and borne on the leaf axils on 5-10 cm long inflorescences. These flower clusters are called thyrse. The flowers, each measuring only 2-3mm in diameter are shaped like little yellow beads. They also look like grains of rice scattered all over the green foliage.
The fragrance is delicately sweet and lemony, hence its common name of mock lemon. The scent is strongest during the day with little or none at night. There are male and female flowers but each plant will have either male or female flowers.
Fruits will only be produced from pollinated female flowers. The fruit is a single-seeded berry. The cultivated plants in Malaysia and Southeast Asia rarely produce fruits.
In China, the dried flowers are used to scent tea. You can also use them in potpourris to scent clothes. Essential oils are commercially extracted from the flowers. The leaves, roots and flowers are used in traditional folk medicine.
HOW TO GROW
It can be grown in a container or on the ground as an ornamental fragrant plant. It can also be planted as a standalone, bonsai or hedge.
The steps:
1. PROPAGATION
You can buy a potted plant from the nursery or propagate from cuttings or marcotting.
2. SUNLIGHT
Full sun.
3. MEDIUM
Fertile, well-drained, moist soil. The medium should not be water-logged. The optimum soil pH level is between 5 and 6.
4. WATER
Regular watering. Inadequate watering will lead to leaf drop.
5. FERTILISE
Apply a balanced compound fertiliser once a fortnight during vegetative growth. Use a flowering inducer to encourage blooms.
6. MAINTENANCE
Prune to the shape you want. Pinching off top leaf shoots will encourage branching for a fuller shape. Remove dried flower stalks once flowering is over.
7. PEST AND DISEASES
Generally free of pest and diseases but may be attacked by spider mites and aphids.
Tip:
A full sun will encourage more flowers and stronger fragrance while lower light intensity will lead to less flowers or less frequent flowering. Place it in a location where you frequently walk by during the day so that you can enjoy the fragrance.
Elaine Yim can be reached via mynicegardenblog@gmail.com