麦冬Dwarf Lilyturf

园中最沉默的功臣。它丛生的细长叶片一年常绿，被大面积种在树下和道路边缘用来覆盖裸土、抑制杂草——你几乎每天路过，却很少会停下看它。The quietest hard worker in the park. Its clumps of long, narrow leaves stay green all year and are planted in large patches under trees and along paths to cover bare soil and keep weeds down — you probably walk past it every day without ever stopping to look.

它的别名「沿阶草」道出了这种用法。地下有纺锤形的肉质小块根，即中药材麦冬，也是它名字的由来。夏季会从叶丛中抽出短短的花梗，开淡紫或近白的小花，之后结出成熟时呈深蓝色的球形果实，很像小珠子。Its other Chinese name, “grass along the steps”, describes exactly this use. Underground it has small, spindle-shaped fleshy root tubers — the traditional medicine maidong, which gives the plant its name. In summer short flower stalks rise from the clumps with small pale-purple or nearly white flowers, followed by round fruits that ripen deep blue, like little beads.