| The Chinese flora, with an estimated 31.000 species, is of immense scientific and horticultural importance. Noteworthy, too, is Chinese traditional medicine, which is based on the remarkable plant resources of the country. Descriptions and identification keys for this diverse flora, until now unavailable in English, have been publishedover the past 14 years in the Flora of China. in conjunction with a separate series, the Flora of China Illustrations. Twenty-four of the total of 49 volumes have already been published, thanks to an unprecedented and long-standing collaboration between Western and Chinese scientists.Among the 33 plant families described in this volume are Clusiaceae, the mangosteen and St. john's-wort family, harvested for its wood. resin, fruits, seeds, and horticultural and medical uses:Dipterocarpaceae, major canopy trees of lowland tropical forests; Tamaricaceae or tamarisk family; Violaceae, the violets and pansies: Flacourtiaceae, source of chauimoogric oil, used to treat leprosy; Passifloraceae, the passion flower family; Begoniaceae, 141 of its ornamental begonias naturally occurring only in China; Thymelaeaceae. including the ornamental shrubs Daphne and Edgeworthia used for the manufacture of paper and medicines; Elaeagnaceae, oleaster and buckthorn family, with its fruit trees and ornamental shrubs: Lythraceae, including purple loosestrife and the ornamental crepe myrtles; Trapaceae. the water chestnuts; Rhizophoraceae or mangrove family;Nyssaceae, containing the genus Camptotheca.source of the anticancer drug camptothecin, and Davidia, the dove tree, which naturally occurs only in China; Combretaceae. with shrubs. vines: and tres of ornamental and medical use: Myrtaceae, including eucalyptus and fruit trees: Melastomataceae, of value in medicine and horticulture; Onagraceae, including wiilowherbs and evening primrose, used in medicine as well as for ornament; and Araliaceae. with several economically important Chinese genera, notably, Panax or ginseng. To find out more about the Flora of China project, visit the website at http ://flora .huh .harvard.edu/china/ |
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