With the arrival of autumn, all kinds of wild fruits in the wilderness and mountains of the countryside are gradually entering the ripening season. The recent rain and the drop in temperature made me go up for a walk in the mountains when I had nothing to do, and I found some wild fruits that I used to eat when I was a child. Examples such as August fried, prickly pear, and golden cherry blossoms are quite common. But one of the wild fruits is particularly noteworthy, with its large quantity and unique shape, which resembles both firethorn and pomegranate seeds, and has a crystal clear color. Taste it, sweet and sour, very satisfying, this wild fruit is broken rice fruit, the scientific name is pearl calamity.

Broken rice crackers are no stranger to farmer friends in the 80, 0, and 0s. In that era of material scarcity, children in the countryside often went to the mountains to look for all kinds of wild fruits without snacks. Broken rice crackers are one of the most popular ones, and it carries many people's childhood memories. Today, let's walk into the world of plants together to gain an in-depth understanding and get to know the pearl calamite.

Delve into the world of pearl and learn about it.

Pearl Corn, also known as broken rice crackers, is a variant of Cinnamomum chinensis. In different places, it is also known as old rice vinegar, old rice crackers, old rice wine, old rice hops, cold rice fruit, cold rice fruit, rice wine fruit, etc. This is a deciduous shrub belonging to the genus Hydrangea in the family Wufuhua, which is closely related to the same family and genus as Qionghua and Hydrangea wood.

Although it is a shrub, it can usually reach a height of around 6 meters. Its stems are grayish-brown in color, and the shoots are covered with fine hairs. Its leaves are alternate and elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate. The flowering period is in the summer, about 0 to 0 every year, and the flowers are white and slightly yellowish, and the flowers are abundant.

果期則在秋季，即每年的8月至10月，正值珍珠莢蒾成熟的季節。其果實呈球形，成熟後變為紅色，酷似一顆顆石榴籽，晶瑩剔透。目前這種植物主要分佈在我國的華中、西南以及長江以南地區，偏愛生長在山坡或山坡灌叢中，是農村荒野中常見的灌木種類之一。

The edible value of pearl calamitis

The fruit is ready to eat when ripe, mainly because of its outer pulp, which tastes sweet and sour. However, due to the small size of broken rice nuts, it is advisable to enjoy them in large quantities, similar to the way of eating pomegranates. Especially in summer and autumn, picking a large handful and putting it in your mouth can make you feel refreshed.

Broken rice crackers can be eaten raw directly, or they can be imitated by the way people in Guangxi eat raw mangoes, adding salt and chili noodles to enjoy spoonful by spoonful, with a unique flavor. Some people also use it to make drinks, so those who haven't tried it may wish to try it.

The medicinal value of pearl calamitis

The fruit is not only edible, but also has high medicinal value. Its roots, branches, leaves, and fruits can be used as medicine to treat various diseases such as sores and fevers, wind-heat colds, allergic dermatitis, and bruises.

In addition, with the deepening of the understanding of this plant, it has been discovered that its seeds are also very valuable, and can be used to extract oil to make soap, lubricants and paints. Therefore, it can be said that the whole body of pearl is a treasure.

The ornamental value of pearl calamity

In addition to the above values, it is also an excellent ornamental plant. Because of its large amount of flowers and fruits, when the fruit is ripe, it is red and fruitful, which has great ornamental value and good meaning in traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, it is also often cultivated as a landscaping plant and is loved by people.