Liushi Jupu 劉氏菊譜 and other books on chrysanthemums

Liu Meng's 劉蒙 Liushi jupu 劉氏菊譜

Liushi jupu 劉氏菊譜 is a book on chrysanthemums written during the Song period 宋 (960-1279) by Liu Meng 劉蒙 (fl. 1104), who hailed from Pengcheng 彭城 (modern Xuzhou 徐州, Jiangsu). His short book, finished around 1104, is called Liushi jupu "Master Liu's notes on chrysanthemums" in order not to get confused with Shi Zhengzhi's 史正志 (jinshi degree 1151) book on this kind of flower, Shishi jupu 史氏菊譜, and Fan Chengda's 范成大 (1126-1193) Fancun jupu 范村菊譜.

Liu's book is divided into five chapters. It begins with an account how in ancient times, people estimated chrysanthemums and compiled poems about his kind of flower. Liu then describes the practical use of chrysanthemums, and their cultivation and ends with an account on the origin of his book. He once visited Liu Yuansun 劉元孫, in whose home he was enchanted by the collection of chrysanthemums that Liu cultivated. Both then decided to compile a book on the flower. In the second part of the text, Liu Meng gives a critical overview on ancient and contemporary statements about chrysanthemums. In the third part, he provides criteria to assess the quality of a chrysanthemum flower, like colour, fragrance, and appearance. The "queen" of chrysanthemums was, in his eyes, the type longnao 龍腦 "dragon brain". In the subsequent part, all different kinds of flowers are ranked according to the qualifying criteria set up in the previous chapter. It includes 35 kinds in total. The book ends with a chapter with miscellaneous information and addenda.

Liu Meng's book is important for the history of chrysanthemum cultivation (particularly in the region south of the Yellow River: he mentions the places Bianliang 汴梁 (i.e. Kaifeng 開封), Xijing 西京 (i.e. Luoyang 洛陽), Chenzhou 陳州 or Huaiyang 淮陽, Dengzhou 鄧州 or Dengxian 鄧縣, Yongzhou 雍州 or Xiangyang 襄陽, Xiangzhou 相州 or Anyang 安陽, Huazhou 滑州 or Huaxian 滑縣, Luzhou 鄜州 or Fengxian 富縣 and Yangzhai 陽翟 or Yuxian 禹縣) because it is much more detailed than other books on chrysanthemums, especially about the places of origin and the different kinds of the plower. Unfortunately, Liu's book speaks not a lot about cultivation, watering and diseases of chrysanthemums.

The Liushi jupu is included in the series Baichuan xuehai 百川學海, Shuofu 說郛， Xiangyan congshu 香艷叢書, Siku quanshu 四庫全書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.

There are nearly 40 traditional books on chrysanthemums, the most important of which are Liushi jupu, Shishi jupu, Fan Chengda's 范成大 Fancun jupu 范村菊譜 (all from the Song period), Huang Shengzeng's 黄省曾 (1490-1540) Yijushu 藝菊書 (part of Nongpu sishu 農圃四書) from the Ming period 明 (1368-1644), and Lu Tingcan's 陸廷燦 (early 18th cent.) Yijuzhi 藝菊志 from the Qing period 清 (1644-1911). Other notable books on chrysanthemums are:

Zhou Lüjing's 周履靖 Jupu 菊譜

A further book on chrysanthemums was written by Zhou Lüjing 周履靖 (fl. 1597), courtesy name Yizhi 逸之. He hailed from Jiaxing 嘉興, Zhejiang, and authored a lot of texts on the hobbies of literati like calligraphy, and published the series Yimen guangdu 夷門廣牘. His short book, also known as Yijufa 藝菊法 "Methods of cultivating chrysanthemums", describes the cultivation of chrysanthemums as well as the appearance of the plants, with different leaves and flowers. He classifies 222 different types of flowers in 15 categories with detailed descriptions. The text is to be found in the Yimen guangdu.

Hongjiao's 弘皎 Jupu 菊譜

Prince Hunggiyao (Ch. Hongjiao 弘皎, d. 1764), style Jingzhai 鏡齋, commandery prince of Qingning 清寧郡王, a grand-son of the Kangxi Emperor 康熙帝 (r. 1661-1722) and son of Prince Insiyang (Ch. Yunxiang 允祥), Prince Hosoi Yi Qinwang 和碩怡親王, wrote a short book on chrysanthemums. He mainly describes the types of flowers he had acquired in southern China and successfully cultivated in Beijing. The text gives detailed description of 100 kinds of flowers that are classified into nine categories. The author added at table to the book (Jubiao 菊表), in which he classifies chrysanthemums into nine categories of beauty and quality. Unfortunately no concrete instructions for the cultivation of chrysanthemum are given. The text was printed in 1746 by the Chunhui Hall 春暉堂. Another copy from the Guangxu reign-period 光緒 (1875-1908) survived, published by the Yuejiao Hall 樂椒軒.

Ye Tianpei's 葉天培 Jupu 菊譜

The Qing-period master Ye Tianpei 葉天培, courtesy name Meifu 槑夫 (梅夫) wrote a 2-juan-long book Jupu during the Qianlong reign-period 乾隆 (1736-1796). He was an expert in the cultivation of these flowers and his book must therefore be taken seriously. It describes all aspects of cultivation in much closer detail than all earlier texts. It also covers as much as 145 different kinds of chrysanthemums many of which are not mentioned in earlier texts. The book was finished in 1776 and soon printed. It was copied half by Zang Gu 臧穀 for his book Wenchunguan julu 問秋館菊錄, where it is called Ye Meifu Yangjufa 葉槑夫養菊法.

The following list gives an overview of the most important surviving traditional books on chrysanthemums written in China: