導賞點 5
龍蛇混雜?講的是植物啦!
Dragons or snakes? It’s talking about plants!
荔枝窩自然步道 珍貴植物介紹
An introduction to the precious plants of Lai Chi Wo
白花魚藤White-flowered Derris (Derris alborubra)
在銀葉林中,你會見一條條巨大樹藤穿梭其中,它們是一種叫白花魚藤的攀緣植物。勿少看它們,一百多年前它們由幼藤,慢慢生長成直徑達20-30厘米的巨臂,像龍像蛇,延綿於古林中,蔚為奇觀。
Within the woodland of coastal mangroves, you will see huge vines crisscrossing within. They are called White-flowered Derris, a type of woody climber plant. Don’t underestimate them; they have taken hundreds of years to grow from thin vines to gigantic tentacles with a diameter of 20-30cm. They are spectacular to observe in the ancient woodland, resembling dragons or snakes.
白花魚藤生長形態有趣,為了爭取更多陽光,白花魚藤努力在樹林中攀來鑽去,它會攀上高樹,懸掛在樹上,又會彎彎地纏在地上,形成不同形態。有時纏成一道拱門,有時半懸空中像鞦韆,但它可不是真的鞦韆,之前就因為太多遊客坐上白花魚藤拍照或拉扯它,使它承受不了而掉下及折斷,不知花上多少年來才形成的獨特生態,一下子就被破壞了,所以也為了自己的安全著想,對於這些古老而珍貴的植物,只看不碰就是最好了。
White-flowered Derris’ grow into many interesting shapes. As they compete fiercely for sunlight, the vines climb up the mangrove trees twisting and turning as they move. Some vines hang from the tall trees, while some curl and bend on the ground, creating different forms. Some entangle together shaped like a door archway, while others dangle and may look like a swing, albeit not being an actual swing. Previously, because too many unruly tourists pulled or sat on the White-flowered Derris vines for a photo, they destroyed the natural ecology. The vines that took so many years to form fell and broke in an instant. So for your safety and for the sake of these precious plants, it is best not to touch them.
銀葉老樹Coastal Heritiera (Heritiera littoralis)
荔枝窩自然步道靠海邊方向(沿木棧道走),會看見高大的銀葉老樹。荔枝窩村的銀葉樹林為全港面積最大、最原始的銀葉樹林。銀葉樹是香港原生紅樹,為了適應潮澗帶的環境,它們發展了不少適應海邊環境的本領:
Walking along the coastal boardwalk of Lai Chi Wo Nature Trail, large tall coastal mangrove trees will appear before you. The coastal mangrove trees woodland at Lai Chi Wo village is considered to be the largest in scale and the most original in Hong Kong. They are also native to Hong Kong and have managed to acclimatise to the coastal sea area by:
◎ 銀白色葉底 — 作用是反射水面反照的陽光,以降低溫度
◎ Having leaves with a silvery underside – used to reduce the temperature by reflecting the sunlight mirrored from the water surface
◎ 巨型板根 — 由於潮澗帶潮汐漲退,水位會升高,令泥土氧氣含量大幅減少,因此銀葉樹發展出板根結構,增加根部可呼吸的面積,也為高大樹幹在軟濕泥土上提供良好的支撐
◎ Large root system – water levels fluctuating with the coastal tides significantly reduce the oxygen in the water. Therefore the coastal mangroves have enhanced the surface area of the root that can breathe. The roots also give better support for the mangrove’s trunks positioned in soft wet soil.
◎ 浮水果實 – 有利「漂洋過海」,增加繁殖機會
◎ Floating fruits – that can “cross oceans” to help germinate in new areas.
在真紅樹品種之中,銀葉樹在香港分布相對較少,但荔枝窩可以找到香港所有8種原生真紅樹品種,更顯荔枝窩自然生態價值之高。
Among the mangrove tree species, the distribution of Coastal Mangroves is relative small in Hong Kong. However, at Lai Chi Wo all eight native mangrove species native to Hong Kong can be found. The mangroves inherently display the high ecological value of Lai Chi Wo.
參考資料 Reference: