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Lily

The plant shown on these badges is the Sacred Lily (Rohdea japonica); in Chinese it is wannianqing, meaning "10,000 years green". The plant is native to southern China, where is grows in moist forests and grassy hillsides between 700-1500m. A perennial, it flowers in early summer and bears a single cluster of berries in autumn.

Rohdea japonica is an auspicious plant that is considered a good gift - it carries the wish for many generations to prosper. Two other factors made it especially appropriate for Maozhang; it is a minor, but neverthess potent, ingredient of Chinese traditional medicine, and its berries are bright, red and shiny.

flo1 flo1r flo4 flo4r flo2 flo2r flo3 flo3r flo5 flo5r flo6 flo6r flo7 flo7r

h. 29mm  w. 20mm   2.5g

h. 28mm  w. 20mm   2.8g

h.31mm   w. 20mm   2.8g

h. 31mm  w. 22mm   3.5g

26mm   2.1g

h. 14mm  w. 24mm   1.2g

h. 16mm  w. 26mm   1.2g

Schrift (2001, plate 2) dates these badges to 1966