Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea | Nov 13 2007

这回去中美洲巴拿马，沿途都看到许多Bougainvillea。这种花源于
南美，现在全世界稍微热一些的地带都极普遍，可惜伊的英文名称：
Bougainvillea！

这个名字不好记，我教孩子许多遍他们才能记住。

中文倒方便，依其形态叫“三角梅”，不过我更中意台湾的译名，叫
“宝巾”，这个童年常听闻的名称，现在不常闻见了：

这花属于紫茉莉科九重葛属，属中有十八种，但单就Bougainvillea
glabra种中就有两百多个异样的品类。

Bougainville是一个法国航海家的名字，世界上还有些以他命名的地
方，象达尔文的船长Fitz Roy，南美有一座高峰，却被人淡忘了：

http://www.mayacafe.com/forum/topic1sp.php3?tkey=1106049643
也象麦哲伦，环游世界，寻找未被“文明”收购的土地。

而航海家的船上都有植物学家，画家，神学家的。一只长年漂泊在海
上的船，就是一个小小的社会。Bougainville船上的植物学家是Philibert
Commerson。

船从南美环绕到大溪地，此花也被大溪地人用来装饰房院：

The spectacular new vine that Commerson called after his friend
and captain originates in South America, but Commerson saw
it in Tahiti ornamenting houses. The two men were captivated by Tahiti
and the inhabitants' spontaneous and public love-making. Commerson
noted that their "chief god" was love, but that their religion included
an occasional human sacrifice. The Tahitians found the Europeans
intriguing too, particularly Commerson's cat, for which they offered to
exchange their loveliest maiden. Commerson, some would think
to his credit and others follishly, refused.

船上还有两位女性，一位是女扮男装的Jean Baret，是植物学家的助手
另一位是Mlle. Hortense, daughter of the prince of Nassau......

http://www.mayacafe.com/forum/topic1sp.php3?tkey=1132676406
都与Hortensia(Hydrangea)有关，而Hotensia源于拉丁的花园。

Bougainvillea has a generosity of bloom that comes from southern
seas. Where the climate suits it, it spreads curtains of pink, purple,
and white wherever it can reach, forming welcoming banners however
bare the wall it climbs, however hot and brown the earth. The color
comes from its bracts, which are leaf-like organs that look like flower
petals; the flower itself is yellow and quite insignificant. The colored
curtains endure so long they seem like permanent backdrops to
whatever scene they decorate, from Tahitian love feasts to
modern terraces.

They look wonderful with a girl and a cat or two sitting in front of
them.

而这“三角梅”，或者“九重葛”就没有多少可说的故事了。

“宝巾”，是童年回忆，好象有一种游戏，用纸折的，食指与大拇指
一翻一合？又好象是女性的头饰，巾？记不真切了。只记得“宝巾”
这个名，花是后来才认识的。

写这个贴子，也是激活一点记忆力。