Culture Arena
China · Nature & Wildlife · Hard
Which species of (Davidia involucrata), named after the French missionary-naturalist Armand David, produces large white bracts that flutter in the breeze like handkerchiefs or doves, and is native to the mountains of Sichuan and Hubei?
Answer: Dove tree — The dove tree (gong tong) was unknown in the West until Père David sent specimens to Paris in 1869. The flowers are actually tiny and clustered, with the two large white bracts doing the work of attracting pollinators—the same strategy as the dogwood.
- A Tulip tree
- B Frangipani
- C Magnolia
- D Dove tree ✓
The dove tree (gong tong) was unknown in the West until Père David sent specimens to Paris in 1869. The flowers are actually tiny and clustered, with the two large white bracts doing the work of attracting pollinators—the same strategy as the dogwood.