Flowers of Mythology - Lilac
Syringia, or lilacs, is a genus of 12 species of perennial woody plants that are part of the olive family, Oleaceae, native to southeastern Europe into eastern Asia and scrub and woodlands. They are trees that range from 2-10m tall with stems that can be up to 30cm in diameter. The flowers are quite small being 5-10mm in diameter, range from light purple to white, pale yellow, and pink, and come in densely packed forms known as panicles, which are complex spike-like formations. They bloom from mid spring through early summer and several of the species have a strong fragrance. While not used commercially, lilac wood is a hardwood that is good for wood turning with the outer wood being cream colored and the heartwood having streaks of purple and brown. They've been used for treating cough, diarrhea, and other abdominal complaints traditionally and modern research has shown that compounds extracted from lilac can be used to treat tumors, hypertension, inflammation, and certain fungal infections.
source: https://artoffairytale.com/dulac/pan_and_syrinx.html
In Greece, Pan, the god of the wild and nature, was wandering through a woodland and found Syrinx, a beautiful and chaste nymph who was minding her who business. He fell immediately in burning lust with her and began to pursue her. She fled from him and since, like most Greek gods of myth, he couldn't take a hint, he chased her. She approached a river and called out to the Potamides, river nymphs, to help her get away and they turned her into lilac. Pan, again like most Greek gods, didn't take rejection well at all. He continued to seek her, sensing her around the plant. He seized stems of the lilac and fashioned his eponymous flute of the stems. (Some versions claim she was turned into cattails.) Syringia is the Latinized version of her name.
