"Space Peonies" Blooming in Luoyang

"Space Peonies" Blooming in Luoyang

变异了？来看看洛阳太空牡丹长啥样！

At first glance, "space peonies" look no different from the common varieties. According to Huo Zhipeng, director of Luoyang International Peony Garden, this pink peony falls into the category of pink-flower variety among various "space peonies". Besides, other varieties of "space peonies", such as Paeonia ostii (one famous kind of peony), red-flower variety and white-flower variety, are also in full bloom now.

乍一看，“太空牡丹”的长相和普通牡丹并无二致。洛阳国际牡丹园主任霍志鹏介绍，这株粉色牡丹属于“太空牡丹”中的粉花类型，此外，“太空牡丹”凤丹类型、红花类型、白花类型等今年都已经美丽绽放。

Pink-flower variety among various "space peonies". [Photo/Luoyang Evening News]

When it comes to space breeding, it should go back to November 2011. At Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Shenzhou-8 was launched along with 982 seeds of peony and Chinese herbaceous peony from Luoyang, starting their 397-hour space journey. It was the first time for seeds of peony and Chinese herbaceous peony to be carried into space by spacecraft, realizing their high-tech breeding.

说到航天育种，时间的指针要拨回到2011年11月。在酒泉卫星发射中心，982粒洛阳牡丹与芍药种子伴随神舟八号的发射升空，开始了长达397个小时的太空之旅，这是牡丹、芍药种子首次搭载航天飞船进入太空，实现了牡丹、芍药的高科技育种。

Pink-flower variety among various "space peonies". [Photo/Luoyang Evening News]

According to Huo Zhipeng, space breeding of peony and Chinese herbaceous peony is to make use of the special environment in space, such as microgravity, high vacuum and other factors, to produce mutation of their seeds, and then bring such seeds back to the earth for new variety cultivation, which has become one of the high-tech ways to cultivate new "exotic" varieties.

霍志鹏说，牡丹、芍药航天育种，是利用宇宙空间特殊的环境，如微重力、高真空等因素，对牡丹、芍药种子的诱变作用产生变异，再返回地面选育新种质、新材料、新品种。这是培育牡丹、芍药“奇异”新品种的高科技途径之一。

A total of 5 peony varieties were sent to space by Shenzhou-8. In 2016, 7 Paeonia ostii were the first to blossom with single petals, followed by red-flower variety, pink-flower variety, white-flower variety, black-flower variety, etc. At present, "space peonies" and "space Chinese herbaceous peonies" are growing well in Luoyang.

搭载神舟八号“飞天”的牡丹有5个类型。2016年，7株凤丹类牡丹率先开花，为单瓣白色花朵，是洛阳杨山牡丹的后代，因其遗传相对单一，符合率先开花的规律。此后，红花类型、粉花类型、白花类型、黑花类型等也逐渐露出芳容，目前，“太空牡丹”和“太空芍药”生长发育良好。（中文来源/洛阳晚报 翻译/赵汉青 审校/陈行洁）