Natural Habitat of White Forsythias, Buan
Flowers of White Forsythias, BuanThis photo shows flowers of white forsythias in Junggye-ri, Byeonsan-myeon and Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun. Flowers are in bloom earlier than leaves, between March and April, featuring the shape of bell.
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LocationSan 19-4, Gunmak-gil Byeonsan-myeon, 산228|산229, Namseondong-gil Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryTour/ Natural Environment
- Korean부안 미선나무 자생지
- Chinese扶安-自生地
- FieldGeography / Animals and Plants
- Contents TypePlace Name / Population, Habitat, and Sanctuary of Migratory Birds
- LocationSan 19-4, Gunmak-gil Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationSan 228, Namseondong-gil Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationSan 229, Namseondong-gil Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A natural habitat of white forsythias located in Junggye-ri of Byeonsan-myeon and Cheongnim-ri of Sangseo-myeon in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- White forsythia or miseonnamu is a rare species that grows only in Korea - mainly in Goesan-gun and Yeongdong-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do, and Buan-gun in Jeollabuk-do. It is a monotypic genus of flowering plant belonging to the olive family of Oleaceae (ex: Chionanthus L., Syringa L., Forsythia vahl, Ligustrum L, and Osmanthus Lour.). There is one species, Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, which is endemic to Korea, growing only in a few south-central areas of the Korean Peninsula.
As it is a rare and endangered species, all of the natural habitats of white forsythias in Korea have been designated as Natural Monuments to ensure their preservation and protection, as follows: Natural Habitat of White Forsythias in Songdeok-ri, Goesan (Natural Monument No. 147, on Dec. 7, 1962); Natural Habitat of White Forsythias in Chujeom-ri, Goesan (Natural Monument No. 220, on Jan. 9, 1970); Natural Habitat of White Forsythias in Yulji-ri, Goesan (Natural Monument No. 220, on Jan. 9, 1970); Natural Habitat of White Forsythias in Maecheon-ri, Yeongdong (Natural Monument No. 364, on Aug. 2, 1990); and Natural Habitat of White Forsythias, Buan (Natural Monument No. 370, on Oct. 26, 1992).
- Biological Characteristics
- The white forsythia grows up to 1-2 meters tall. The tips of its branches droop downward, and its new shoots are rectangular. The leaves are opposite and oval and their edges are flat. The flowers bloom between March and April, before the appearance of new leaves, which are racemiferous, bell-shaped and fragrant, and have a white or light pink color; the flowers have a four-lobed corolla with two stamens and one pistil. The fruit is a samara with a diameter of 2-3 centimeters; it displays a light green color before turning light pink, and then turns brown in September when it dries and ripens fully.
- Natural Environment
- White forsythias grow in stony infertile land with a small amount of soil. As it is a small tree, it will wither away if it does not receive sufficient sunlight when shaded by other larger trees and plants, which is why it grows best in arid land where other trees don’t grow. In addition, its branches droop downwards, and when they touch the ground, the plant propagates itself. As a result of the measures taken to protect Korea’s white forsythias, their situation has improved and there are no longer any particular threats to their survival, resulting in the withdrawal of their designation as a second-grade endangered plant in 2017.
- Matters related to Historical / Lifestyle and Folklore
- As the white forsythia is much loved by the general public and botanists alike in Korea, stamps designed with white forsythias were issued in 1963, 1968, and 1980. The plant’s Korean name, miseon, originates from the shape of its fruit, which is said to resemble a tail fan (miseon) with a round handle. Tail fans were used at feasts or ceremonies at the royal court in the past, and were made by weaving strips of bamboo together and covering them with paper on both sides.
- Current Status
- The Natural Habitat of White Forsythias, Buan (designated area: 10,855 m2) consists of two separate areas, namely, the Jiksocheon waterside below the Buan Dam in Gunmak-dong, Junggye-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, and the Baekcheon waterside in the village of Nojeok, Cheongmin-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun. As it is located inside Byeonsanbando National Park, this habitat has been well preserved, allowing the white forsythias to grow and bear fruit very well.