ㄏounty ㄑlower

ㄔhe pronunciation of lotus in ㄩandarin is "lianㄦhua"

which corresponds with the reverse pronunciation of

ㄘualienㄝ and it is easy to be rememberedㄡ ㄠotusㄝ emerging

unstained from the filthㄝ is the symbol of purity in

ㄏhinese folklore that represents ㄘualien as the last

pure paradise in ㄔaiwanㄡ ㄠotus is an aquatic perennial

herb with elliptic leaves as well as long stalks with

rhizomes filled with airㄦpockets growing in mud under

waterㄡ ㄔhe lotus flowersㄝ with colors ranging form

light redㄝ yellowㄝ light purple to whiteㄝ bloom in

the summerㄝ and they have very large petals which could

be either in single or multiple petalsㄡ ㄠotus nuts

grow within seed podsㄤ moreoverㄝ these seeds and underground

roots are edibleㄡ

ㄏounty ㄔree of ㄘualienㄦㄦㄐeligiosa

ㄑicus religiosaㄝ or bodhi treeㄝ is derived from the

meaning of sacred and religiousㄝ and it was named to

commemorate ㄋiddhartha ㄕautama who attained enlightenment

(ㄖohdi) at the treeㄡ ㄔhereforeㄝ it is considered as

the ㄋacred ㄔreeㄡ ㄛt is a large dry seasonㄦdeciduous

or semiㄦevergreen tree up to ㄅㄢ to ㄉㄢ meters tall with

a smooth straight trunk and wavy round shape crownㄡ

ㄔhe leaves are in dark green with shiny waxed surfaces

and complex venationㄝ the leaf glands are also within

thin long heartㄦshaped leavesㄡ ㄍvery summer during

ㄨuly and ㄇugustㄝ fig fruits turn purple when ripen

and fall on the ground attracting birds to peckㄡ

ㄏounty ㄖirdㄦㄦㄩaroon ㄟriole

ㄔhe beautiful and rare endangered ㄩaroon ㄟriole is

a distinctive ㄔaiwanese birdㄡ ㄔhe ㄩaroon ㄟriole is

a mediumㄦsized (ㄉㄓcm) birdㄝ the male having a black

hood and wingsㄝ a deep red body and tail and a yellowish

irisㄡ ㄔhe bill and legs are grayㄡ ㄔhe female is similarly

patterned but is dark gray on the backㄝ and has a light

grayish belly with heavy blackish streaksㄡ ㄔhe differences

between the ㄔaiwan and mainland subspecies are not

obvious in the fieldㄡ ㄔhe ㄩaroon ㄟriole feeds on wild

figsㄝ berriesㄝ insects and nectarㄡ ㄛt prefers moist

deciduous and evergreen forests in hills from ˇㄢㄢㄦㄅㄢㄢㄢmㄡ

ㄧsually seen singly or in pairsㄝ it keeps to the canopy

and sometimes joins mixedㄦspecies flocksㄡ ㄛts nest

is a large deep cup of woven fibersㄝ placed in the

fork of a high branch near the tree topㄡ ㄖoth sexes

share in parental dutiesㄡ ㄔhe male bird is responsible

for delivering food and feedingㄝ whereas the female

one is in charge of cleaning the nest and disposing

the excrements elsewhereㄡ ㄔhe endangered ㄩaroon ㄟriole

is rarely sighted in wild because it usually acts aloneㄡ

ㄛts population has been diminished by the cutting of

lowland primary and secondary broadleaved forest and

is estimated at just a few hundred individualsㄡ