国花系列:NARCISSUS (柬埔寨)

Name: All daffodils are Narcissus, which is the genus name. According to the International Cultivar Registration Authority (for Narcissus and for several other flowers that is the UK's Royal Horticultural Society) daffodil is accepted as a common name for all members of the Narcissus genus. However, most people think of daffodils as the single flower, large trumpet yellow ones, which are the most common kind of daffodils, and call the smaller headed scented varieties, narcissi. The Oxford Dictionary defines narcissus (plural narcissi) as "any of a group of flowers including jonquils and daffodils, especially the kind with heavily-scented single white flowers". In fact, even the growers of the scented varieties call all of their products white or yellow, single or multi-headed, "narcissi".The flower is named after Narcissus in Greek legend (see Trivia below). "Narcissus" comes from the Greek for "numbness" referring to the narcotic properties of the plant.

英名：Chinese Narsissus

别名:水仙花、雅蒜、金盏银台、中国水仙、天蒜。

科名：石蒜科

水仙花，别名天葱、雅蒜、金盏银台、玉玲珑。属石蒜科，多年生鳞茎草花。高20一30厘米。叶基生，线形，扁平。花葶抽出叶间，顶端着花3一8朵，呈伞形花序，花冠口部具黄色盏状的副花冠，有“金盏银台”之称。花期1一2月。葫果胞背开裂。

水仙为秋植球根花卉，早春开花并贮藏养分，夏季休眠，性喜温暖湿润气候。水仙花是点缀元旦和春节最重要的冬令时花，其碧叶如带，芳花似杯，幽香沁人肺腑，常用清水养植，被人们称为“凌波仙子” .

Origin: South Western Europe. Grown extensively in the UK - export daffodils to Holland. First cultivated by the Romans.

原产地：西欧南部，最初是由罗马人种植。

Colour: Over 25,000 varieties in shades of yellow, white, orange and peachy pink.

颜色：超过了25000多个品种，有不同形状的黄色，白色，桔色以及粉红色

Availability: Seasonal availability October to April. The Isles of Scilly start the season off in October with the tiny tazetta types. It finishes in April with large trumpet daffodils from Scotland.

种植期：每年10--到第二年4月。

Varieties（种类）: There is a huge number of cultivars, in a range of colours including combinations of white, yellows, oranges and pinks. There are multi-headed tazetta types and some with a strong fragrance. Yellow tazetta narcissi "Soleil d'Or'"and white "Ziva" have the strongest scent, and also make ideal indoor plants as potted bulbs

Mythology（传说）: Narcissus in Greek legend fell in love with his own reflection in a stream. He stayed transfixed by the stream and the gods thought he would die of starvation so they changed him into the flower to stay there forever.

希腊神话传说，水仙原是个美男子，他不爱任何一个少女，而有一次，他在一山泉饮水，见到水中自己的影子时，便对自己发生了爱情。当他扑向水中拥抱自己影子时，灵魂便与肉体分离，化为一株漂亮的水仙……

Zodiac（星座）: They are good flowers for Geminis, who like the daffodil's yellow cheerfulness; and Pisces who appreciate the white narcissi's scented delicacy.

Feng Shui:Feng Shui adherents believe the flower brings good luck for the next twelve months if forced to bloom at New Year.

Language of Flowers（花语）: In Victorian times daffodils signified regard, while narcissi meant self-esteem or even vanity.

Medicinal: Daffodils are being grown for Galanthine, a substance in the bulbs being used to fight Alzheimer's.

水仙鳞茎浆汁有毒，含拉可丁，用作外科镇痛剂，鳞茎捣烂可敷治痈肿。花作香泽，涂身理发，去风气，又疗妇人五脏心热。