Previous articleNext article FreeBotanyPlants of China: A Companion to the Flora of China. Edited by Hong De-Yuan and Stephen Blackmore. Beijing (China): Science Press and Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. $150.00. xiii + 475 p.; ill.; index of scientific names. ISBN: 978-1-107-07017-2. [First published in 2013 by Science Press, Beijing, China.] 2015.Shucun SunShucun SunSchool of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China Search for more articles by this author School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreChina has a vast diversity of plant species, with more than 30,000 species of vascular plants, just under 50% of which are endemic, living in different biomes from tropical to subtropical, temperate and boreal forests. Importantly, these species have been described and collectively published in the monumental work Flora of China. Readers may wonder why there are so many species in China, how Chinese scientists have studied so many in great detail, and how the Chinese people have traditionally used these species. These questions are answered in the book Plants of China: A Companion to the Flora of China edited by two worldwide well-known botanists, Hong De-Yuan and Stephen Blackmore.Plants of China is organized into four sections covering basic physical geography, history of botany in China, utilization of plants, and biological conservation. The first section (Chapters 1–5) introduces the climate, soil, and bioclimatic zones, showing the extremely high diversity of ecological habitats in China. The next section (Chapters 6–14) deals with the evolution of Chinese vegetation and the history of botanical studies. It is interesting that early Chinese botanists had a close academic association with Western countries. It was these early pioneers and their immediate successors who brought botany in China to international attention and its eventual stature. The third section (Chapters 15–21) describes how the Chinese people utilize introduced and native plants for medicinal and ornamental purposes as well as in forestry and agricultural practices. The final section (Chapters 22–25) focuses on the challenges facing conversation in light of invasive species and global change. Without doubt, the materials presented in Plants of China resonate with the materials presented in Flora of China. Indeed, these two works should be thought of as companion volumes.The prose is generally clear and easy to follow, even though the first language of many of the authors is not English. Likewise, the figures and tables are well designed in ways that will inspire the interest of readers. The photographs of some Chinese plant scientists are carefully selected to show the field conditions and vegetation during those times that plants were collected. The editors have chosen well the authors for all of the chapters, and the authors are widely recognized as experts in their fields. Indeed, it is fair to say that the collection of chapters manifest high academic quality.Although Plants of China provides many of the answers to puzzling questions raised in the Flora of China, especially for many non-Chinese readers, it will be of interest to anyone who seeks to understand the floristic diversity of one of the most species-rich regions on Earth. Moreover, Plants of China contains original scientific contributions to the study of plant biology that stand on their own, such that it serves as a broad review of the literature dealing with Chinese vegetation and a history of how plants are used in China. Finally, the book contains many stories concerning the personal experiences of the authors and many photographs of pioneer Chinese botanists, which collectively shed light on the culture, tradition, and development of Chinese botany. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 92, Number 1March 2017 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690891 For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.
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Feb 2, 2018
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