Syringa oblata subsp. dilatata Syringa oblata subsp. dilatata Syringa oblata subsp. dilatata, also known as Korean early lilac, is a subspecies of the species "Syringa oblata" in the genus "Syringa", in the family Oleaceae. Gravelly mountains, 100-700m altitude. China: Jilin and Liaoning provinces. Korea: Throughout. Widely cultivated. Notable cultivars include: "Oblata" from the modern Latin "oblatus", meaning 'somewhat flattened at the ends, oval, oblate'. "Dilatata" means 'widened', 'spread out', or 'dilated'. "Syringa" is derived from the Greek word "syrinx", meaning 'pipe' or 'tube'. Named for the use of its hollow stems to make flutes. In Greek mythology, the nymph Syringa was changed into a
A Flowering Tree: A Woman's Tale from around the world, "A Flowering Tree" synthesizes two discrete elements: first, an impossible narrative (a girl turns into a tree; a prince marries a peasant), and second, mythic archetypes which resonate deeply with all of us, no matter what our beliefs. According to Ramannujan himself who analysed the folk tale while translating it - "It is a story of woman's ecology and vulnerability of her emerging sexuality..." This was published posthumously and edited by Stuart Blackburn and Alan Dundes along with other folktales compiled and translated by Ramanujan. His story was adapted into an opera by John Adams in