Four-o'clock

紫茉莉（学名：Mirabilis jalapa）别名草茉莉、夜娇娇、夜晚花、胭脂花、洗澡花、煮饭花、地雷花、白粉花、潮来花等，属紫茉莉科植物。

紫茉莉为多年生草本植物，主枝直立，侧枝散生伏地，节部膨大，节部并显粉红色，株高可达1米左右。叶形为卵状三角形，对生，翠绿，内有浅色叶脉；花朵状似喇 叭，花瓣五裂，花径2至3厘米，长4至5厘米，大多为大红或紫色，亦有白、粉、黄及复色等；果实坚硬，呈黑色，外形酷似地雷，故亦称“地雷花"。

紫茉莉开花时间段是下午4时至次日上午10时，因此在英语中被称为“四时花”(Four o'clock flower)；因其常在人们晚上沐浴和做饭的时间段开花，因此又有“洗澡花”和“煮饭花”的别名；花于翌日早晨凋萎。由于紫茉莉花筒细长，大型的夜行性鳞翅目很难吸蜜，而其传粉与授粉一般由天蛾（Sphingidae）完成。

Mirabilis jalapa (The four o'clock flower or marvel of Peru) is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis, and is available in a range of colours. Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa is a not uncommon placename in Central and North America. Mirabilis jalapa is said to have been exported from the Peruvian Andes in 1540.

A curious aspect of this plant is that flowers of different colors can be found simultaneously on the same plant.

Additionally, an individual flower can be splashed with different colors. Another interesting point is a color-changing phenomenon. For example, in the yellow variety, as the plant matures, it can display flowers that gradually change to a dark pink color. Similarly white flowers can change to light violet.

The flowers usually open from late afternoon onwards, then producing a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, hence the first of its common names.

This is a common flower from my childhood and I didn't quite remember what we call it then. The four o'clock flower indicates its unusual opening time - late afternoon onwards and I still remember its strong fragrance and black seeds. Originally I had only seen white and pink flowers from our neighborhood. And a journey with my parents to a nearby town revealed the purple flowers to me. I haven't seen this flower for years and it always reminds me of that period of childhood memory.