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On this first day of summer, Miami is HOT, HUMID and full of mosquitoes! I can't stay outdoor because I do not like to spray myself with the awful chemical that is supposed to repel the mosquitoes. But this bush (no, it's now a legitimate "tree") is thriving. It is pushing out in all directions and flowers profusely at the tip of every branch right now. This is the first time ever that it is doing so spectacularly. Read more about it here.
I always wanted to show this shrub but did not get a decent photo of its tiny flowers until today. This aromatic shrub (Aglaia Odorata) is a member of the Mahogany family (Meliaceae) and is known as Mock Lemon or Chinese perfume plant (Mei Sui Lan,) or Chinese rice flower. It flowers year round and the pinhead size tiny yellow flowers are delightfully fragrant. The flowers are used for scenting tea. This plant is priceless for me.
This flower is very famous in Vietnamese literature and mythology, having a rain with the same name in the months of September when the stars Vega and Altair, separated by the Milky Way, are visible in the Northern hemisphere ( the legend of Nguu Lang (Altair) and Chuc Nu (Vega.))
The organic extracts of the twigs and leaves of this Aglaia Odorata yield eight insecticidal derivatives, according to a scientific study in Phytochemistry, Vol. 51, issue 3, June 1999, pages 367-376. Wow! I didn't know that!
