Two ornamental plants of fall

Page 8, Saturday/Sunday, November 22-23, 2014

Opinion  ->  Thoughts of The Times

By Lee Sun-ho

The symbolic natural messengers representing this rather long fall season (other than diverse maple or gingko trees displaying their bright full foliage and colorful autumnal flower blossoms) are, in general, two ornamental grasses, namely eulalias and reeds.

The two plants look alike in their perennial bunchgrass shape seen from late summer through early winter. However, there are clear differences between the two, which can be easy to figure out by their appearance.

Eulalia grasses, also known as maidenhairs, are easy-to-grow, ranging in height from one to two meters. It is quite an elegant plant, with its narrow green leaves giving a silvery look and white midribs that form into large clumps. Eulalia is a very popular feminine name of Greek origin, named after the botanical artist Eulalie Delile, which means ''well-spoken."

Its tiny, copper flowers in long tassels appear in late fall, turning into white plumes in winter. Eulalia grass that is red/pink blooms well in gardens, or planted as a border or specimen plant. It is a very low-maintenance plant. Despite its hardiness, it does well in full sun and it tolerates poor soil very well. It is considered as invasive in some areas.

Cool-season ornamental reed grasses, also known as full-blooming feather reeds, are graceful clump-forming masculine water plants, hardy, and easily grown. This plant has a fairly upright habit of growth to a natural height of about three meters. In late summer, blooms emerge with a purple/brown tint. It is one of the few flowering grasses that is happy in the shade. It has various sorts of tall grasses with slender jointed stems that grow especially in wet areas standing along the water margins of ponds, marshes and rivers.

Haneul (or Sky) Park was set up for eulalias living in stock on the crest of Nanji-do Park in Sangam-dong, northwestern Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was a 98-meter-high industrial waste disposal crest for 15 years from 1978 through 1993. Nanji-do, denoting the island of orchids and gromwell mushrooms in Chinese, regained its original name as its boundary became a spectacular viewpoint for eulalia blows in the wind. Throughout most of the summer, the eulalia stalks are just starting to grow. Until November, the tall grass will be swaying in the breeze and changing from green stalks to browner autumn hues when they are finally cut down for the winter.

A model example showing a plethora of eulalia and reed grasses is the Upo Wetland. It is a complex of natural wetlands located in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, and is the largest inland wetland in Korea covering 2.13 square kilometers in all. There we can witness tall plants growing at the water edges. Not only herds of reeds, but also Pampas grasses (a kind of water eulalia) sways make us feel the exotic sentiments of autumnal tints.

The relatively prolonged fall is now in the air, and scheduled harvests for their multiple-purpose uses are in motion in line with eulalia or reed grasses in blossom at this time of the year. Outdoor autumn festivals with the above-mentioned grasses have been held to celebrate the change of season in various hills, fields and elsewhere in the nation.

Such autumnal events are especially pronounced during this lunar September period (29 days from Oct. 24-Nov. 21), which has recurred in 182 years since 1832, according to the Oriental zodiac. The names of the two plants often appear as some odes to old-fashioned Korean popular songs as well as worldwide-known musicals and operas. To walkers, gardeners, and lovers of the natural green way, this fall sentiments are the crowning glory of the year.

We are treated to the crunch and rustle of the stronger eulalia panicles or the taller reedy gestures as we walk.      -End-

<우리말 풀이>

                               억새밭과 갈대숲 - 가을

 

I. 공통점 (다년생) : 가을의 전령 (傳令)인 다년생 포아풀 (禾本, 볏)科 -> 꽃피고 지는 계절

                             까지 비슷함 -> 나뭇잎 (단풍, 은행 등)이나 들꽃 (코스모스, 국화 등)

                                    보 다 더 오래 지속되는 바람에 흔들리는 가을상징 식물 (풀) -> 한반도

                             뿐 아니라 北半球 온대지역 전역에서 자생 -> 수확 후 다목적 생활

                             용도로 활용.

 

II. 차이점 (생김새) : 억새는 ‘웍새’ 또는 ‘으악새 (경기도 방언)’로도 불리며, 바람에 나부껴

                              서로 부닥쳐 갑자기 나는 (새)소리를 연상할 수 도 있음 -> 갈대는

                              준말로 ‘갈’ 또는 한자로 ‘겸가(蒹葭)’로도 쓰임

가. 억새 – 1. 자생지 : 토양이 건조한 마른땅, 산등성이와 들에서 저절로 자람 -> 참억새와

                                물억새 (잎에 톱니가 없음)는 습지에서도 큼

                    2. 꽃잎 : 은 빛, 흰색, 황갈색 -> 9월에 주축 (主軸)에서 갈라져 나간 각축 (各軸)

                                     이 원추화서 (圓錘=總狀=無限花序)로 변모 -> 좁고 긴 억센 잎의

                              가시가 있어 손가락 조심 필요

                    3. 키 : 2m 이내

                    4. 줄기 : 한꺼번에 뭉쳐서 땅위로 끝이 긴 가닥으로 나옴 (물억새는 줄기가 하나

                              씩 올라오며 톱니가 없음) -> 곧고 단단하며 속이 차있음

                     5. 성격 : 여성형, 투박함

                     6. 흔들림 : 가벼워 바람에 쉽게 움직임 -> 주야간 반짝반짝 은빛을 보이며

                                  연하게 움직임

                 7. 용도 : 줄기와 잎은 가축사료 및 지붕을 잇는데, 뿌리는 약재로 쓰임

나. 갈대 – 1. 자생지 : 물, 습지, 강가에서 저절로 큼 -> 건조한 곳에서는 자라지 않음

                    2. 꽃잎 : 옅은 자주색 또는 보랏빛을 띤 은빛 회백색

                    3. 키 : 2m 내지 3m

                    4. 줄기 : 끝부분의 꽃이 풍성하게 뭉쳐짐 -> 곧으나 연악하며 비어있음

                    5. 성격 : 남성형, 민감함

                    6. 흔들림 : 키가 크고 꽃 이삭 풍성 -> 속이비어 바람에 더 크게 흔들림

                    7. 용도 : 곧고 연한 줄기는 발이나 생활용기구 등으로 쓰임.

 

III. 군락지 (群落地) 대표적 사례 : 전국 방방곡곡에 조화로운 꽃의 향연壯觀 산재

가. 억새 – 서울 마포구 상암동 하늘공원 (억새와 갈대가 조화를 이룬 생태공원) -> 은빛

                군무 (群舞) -> 과거 15년간 (1978~1993) 거대한 산2개의 쓰레기 매립장 (양이

                8.5톤 트럭 1,300만대 분량으로 98미터 높이)중 하나 -> 옛 蘭芝島의 생태계

                살리기 상암동 월드컾 경기장건설 이전 완료 -> 파괴되었 던 자연 회복 (난과

                영지버섯이 자라던 꽃섬으로 철새들의 낙원) -> 억새 꽃 생태공원으로 다시

                변모 (제1-노을공원. 제2-하늘공원)

나. 갈대 – 경남 창녕군 우포 (牛浦)늪 생태공원 (3개면 4개리에 걸친 70여만평의 국내 최대

                천연늪지 -> 우포숲길의 아름다운 갈대체험 (물억새도 함께 자생) 산책 ->

                     1997.7.6. 생태관리 특별천연보호구역지정 -> 1999.8.9. 습지보호구역 지정

                      -> 가을철 갈대숲 보호 및 관련 자연보호축제 계속 실시.

 

 

 

IV. 가을과 자연 - 바람 따라 일렁이는 회색은빛물결 장관 -> 늦가을의 향기

 가. 상대적 긴 가을 : 1832년 이후 182년만의 甲午年 (靑馬) 9월 윤달 (2014년 10월24일

                              부터 11월21까지 29일간)

 나. 전국 각지의 야외가을 축제 : 억새와 갈대 각종 군무 관람

 다. 음악예술 관련 : 한국의 유행가나 세계적인 뮤지컬 또는 가곡에 억새와 갈대가 비교적

                             많이 등장

라. 가을의 정취 체험 : 산책인, 정원사, 동호인들끼리 특히 즐기는 가을 풍경 -> 바람에

                                흔들리며 나는 ‘자박자박’ 또는 ‘살랑살랑 (찰랑찰랑)‘등 (새)소리를

                                들으며 자연을 벗 삼는 즐거움 만끽.               -이상-