Tibetan science science ｜ High value, proud, how the water quality is the final say!See how sea cauliflower acts as a "monitor"!

Written article: Xu Feng, Wang Yutong (China Agricultural University)

Source: "Knowledge is Power" magazine

Every summer, white flowers in Lugu Lake in Yunnan are full of lakes, attracting millions of tourists to watch. The blooming sea vegetables have high ornamental value and are rare and endangered aquatic plants in China. According to the World Nature Protection Alliance standards, sea cauliflower is in a state of near -critical. As a "golden stone" of nature's water quality, the environment of its survival is actually a true embodiment of the human living environment.

1 Flowers blooming on the lake

The scientific name of "Seaweed Flower" is called sea cauliflower. The earliest records were recorded in Wu Qirui's "Plant Name Real Map Test" during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. It is also known as the in front of the alien water truck, sea vegetables, and dragon claws.

Sea cauliflower is a unique aquatic plant in China. It is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It can grow in lakes, ponds, ditches and paddy fields below 2700 meters above sea level.

The entire plant of the sea cauliflower sinks under the water, the stems are short, and the kelp -like leaves are produced by the Minister of the Foundation. The length of the petiole is different due to the depth of the water body. Up to 300 cm. The flowering period is from May to October, and there are flowers throughout the year. Whenever the spring and summer flowers are coming, the white flowers will be found out of the water. The white petals gather together like a cup. The breeze came, and the large sea cauliflower rippled with the water, and his posture was graceful.

Pochi -sea cauliflower that grows in Lugu Lake, Yunnan (Drawing: Feifei)

Sea cauliflower is male and female. The male and female flames contain 40-50 male flowers. The female Buddha flame buds contain 2-3 female flowers. The flowers are fading, and the buds of the Buddha will sink into the bottom of the water.

2 How to say the water quality

There is a "sea" in the name of the sea cauliflower, but it does not grow in the sea, but it grows in fresh water with warm, sufficient sunlight, and no more than 4 meters. It is available for viewing, consumption, and medicinal, and can also be used as feeds such as birds, fish, livestock and other animals. In addition, its strict characteristics of water quality have made it an important environmental instruction plant, which is a "monitor" of water quality. For example, Boye sea cauliflower is only in Lugu Lake, a type I water quality, and slightly polluting will affect its growth or even survival. Environmental protection departments often take the growth of whether they grow sea cauliflower as a sign of whether the water quality of freshwater lakes is contaminated. During severe pollution, all kinds of tall plants in the lakes have died. When the moderate pollution, the sensitive plants in the lake, such as sea cauliflower, disappear, the sea cauliflower in the lake when mild pollution gradually disappears. The cauliflower is lush. The sea cauliflower is used for environmental monitoring, and it also won the title of "environmental protection vegetables".

3 "Big Panda" in the water

Too "delicate" constitution also brings many challenges to the survival of the sea cauliflower itself.

Due to climate conditions, water body environment, nutrients, overdoing, etc., the scope of the distribution of sea vegetables gradually decreases, and the sea vegetables in some lakes and rivers are almost extinct. Therefore, sea cauliflower is included in the rare endangered water, and related protection work is actively developing. Established a protected area in Lugu Lake, Lijiang Lahai City, Dali Erhai and other places at the junction of Sichuan -Yunnan provinces to protect the groups with different habitats and small number of individuals; Collect sufficient individuals in the gathering group to maximize the hereditary diversity of wave leaf sea cauliflower; avoid mixing to reduce changes in the structure of the population. It can also be artificially transplanted, reproduced and cultivated on sea cauliflower to further ensure the survival of sea cauliflower.

Sea cuisine is a precious aquatic plant wild resources. With the continuous improvement of people's awareness of environmental protection, the ecological environment will gradually improve. I believe that in the near future, those lakes and rivers that once full of sea cauliflower will definitely be able to reproduce this beautiful and precious victory.

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