Authors: Chen, Cui Hongbin, Kai, Xia.
This chapter was compiled by Chen on the basis of the Compilation History of Chinese Flora edited by Cui Hongbin, the Flora of China edited by Kai and the Flora of China edited by Xia Qiansheng. It was discussed and revised by Hong, Fu Guoxun and approved by Wu Zhengyi.
Flora of China is a masterpiece summarizing the systematic classification of vascular plants (ferns and seed plants) in China, with 80 volumes, 65,438+026 volumes, including more than 30,000 species of plants and more than 9,000 plates.
The compilation history of Flora of China actually began in 1930s, but it didn't officially start until 1958. The compilation and research of the whole book * * * volume 126 took 45 years and was completed in 2004. It has realized the long-cherished wish of several generations of plant taxonomists in China and published Flora of China, which is the largest published flora in the world.
The compilation history of Flora of China can be roughly divided into four stages.
1. Preparation stage
China has a vast territory and complex natural conditions, which has nurtured extremely rich and colorful plant species and attracted worldwide attention. As early as18-19th century, many foreigners came to China to inspect and collect plants. But all the collected specimens were taken away and kept in the herbarium of their respective countries. According to these specimens, a large number of new families, genera and species have been published. However, specimens and documents are scattered all over the world, which brings great difficulties for China botanists to study China plants.
The older generation of plant taxonomists in China also began to collect plant specimens at the beginning of the 20th century, and visited Europe and the United States for many times to consult the preserved plant specimens and related documents. Zhong Guangguang was the first person to collect specimens in the wild. He collected more than 654.38 million specimens in more than ten provinces and regions of China. Subsequently, Qin Renchang, Chen Huanyong, Qian and Liu Shene also collected a large number of plant specimens in South China, Northeast China, East China, Central China, North China, Southwest China and Northwest China. With the progress of plant taxonomy research and the collection of a large number of plant specimens, Hu Xiansu and others are eager to start compiling Flora of China. Hu Xiansu's doctoral thesis is "Flora of Seed Plants in China". This is the most basic reference for studying the plants in China at that time. He once said at the second session of 1934 in botanical society of china: "There are more and more taxonomists in China now, so it is reasonable to compile Flora of China. Anyone who compiles special records of plants in various families should compile Flora of China at the same time. " And hope to be published by the Commercial Press. However, due to the influence of Japan's war of aggression against China, this wish has not been realized. However, just before and after War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Cai, Wu, Yu Dexun, Chen Fenghuai, Zheng, Qin Renchang, Hu Xiansu, Wang Fayong, Kuang Keren, Wang Zuobin, Fu Kunjun, Feng, Wu Zhengyi and Jian Jipo continued to collect plant specimens in various places, especially in Sichuan and Yunnan, with a total of nearly 100 pieces. On the other hand, they also deeply studied the specific flora, such as Qin Renchang to pteridophytes, Hu Xiansu to Styraceae, betulaceae, Ulmaceae, Alpinia and Theaceae, Chen Huanyong to Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Gesneriaceae, Zheng to gymnosperms, Wang Fayong to Liliaceae, Orchidaceae and Cyperaceae, Geng Yili to Gramineae and Yu Dexun to Qiang. Chen Fenghuai belongs to Primulaceae, Annonaceae, Peijian belongs to Verbenaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Wu Zhengyi belongs to Labiatae, Papaveraceae, Zhou Taiyan belongs to Cruciferae, Zhong Bu belongs to Scrophulariaceae, Campanulaceae, Hou Kuanzhao belongs to Rubiaceae, and Zhang belongs to Compositae, and Kuangke belongs to Juglandaceae and Myrtaceae. While working in Kew Garden, Qin Renchang went to Britain, Sweden and Austria to take about 20,000 photos of China specimens (including a considerable number of model specimens). Wu and Wu Zhengyi made a set of scientific cards according to the Catalogue of China Plants by H. Handel-Mazzetti, the world authority on plants in China at that time, after careful sorting and textual research; The data and pictures of plants in Taiwan Province Province collected by He Fu are extremely precious scientific data for compiling Flora of China. The hard work of the older generation of plant taxonomists laid a very solid foundation for the compilation and research of Flora of China.
After the founding of New China, China has made great progress in plant taxonomy. Under the state's attention, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has set up several plant research institutes based on plant taxonomy, and the comprehensive investigation committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for organizing the national survey of vegetation and plant resources, such as the comprehensive survey of Tibet for more than 20 years, the survey of soil and water conservation of the Yellow River, the survey of rubber suitable forest land in Hainan, the survey of plant resources in the south and southwest, the joint survey of China and the Soviet Union, the survey of South-to-North Water Transfer Project, and the survey of many people in Xinjiang. A large number of plant specimens have also been collected in the survey. In addition, universities and relevant departments have organized many surveys and collections of wild plant resources and Chinese herbal medicines, supplementing a large number of plant specimens.
1950 In August, China Academy of Sciences held a national conference on plant taxonomy, at which the task of compiling Flora of China was formally put forward. The Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences organized the national taxonomists for the first time to compile a key to the families and genera of seed plants in China, a name of seed plants in China, a morphological term of seed plants, a pictorial description of the main plants (Leguminosae, Gramineae and Ferns) in China and a Flora of Beijing. South China Institute of Botany edited Flora of Guangzhou and Dictionary of Seed Plants of China. Key to Northeast Plants compiled by Northeast Forestry and Soil Research Institute; Handbook of Plants in Southern Jiangsu compiled by Nanjing Institute of Botany (now Jiangsu Institute of Botany), etc. These belong to the preliminary work of compiling Flora of China, which not only collated and identified a large number of plant specimens, but also trained young researchers. 1956, China Academy of Sciences officially listed Flora of China in the project of Classification of Biological Systems and Resources Development and Utilization Planning at the meeting on the planning of scientific and technological development prospects.
2. Primitive period
The compilation and research of Flora of China began from 65438 to 0958. First of all, in May 1959, 26 botanists, including Qian and Hu Xiansu, jointly launched the compilation of Flora of China in the Journal of Science. In August of the same year, it was reported to China Academy of Sciences to request the establishment of an editorial committee of Flora of China, which was formally approved in June+1October 5438, and was held for the first time in Beijing in June 5438+0959165438+1October/65438+April. This meeting resulted in the following documents: 1. Organization Regulations of Editorial Committee of Flora of China; 2. Editing and publishing regulations and editing procedures; 3. Prepare the plan; 4. 1960- 1962 compilation and publication planning; 5. Write specifications; 6. Glossary of plant taxonomy terms; 7. List of author abbreviations; 8. Abbreviated list of reference files; 9. Angiosperms are classified according to the family number and volume table of engler system (1936). The first editor-in-chief of the editorial board was Qian and Chen Huanyong, and the secretary-general was Qin Renchang. There is a secretary group, and Cui Hongbin is responsible for the organization and management for a long time. Meanwhile, Qin Renchang, Institute of Botany, published the second volume of Flora of China (Pteridophytes) for the first time in September, 1959. Subsequently, Wang Fahuan, Zhong Buqiu completed and published Flora of China (Volume 65438 +0 1) and Volume 68 (Scrophulariaceae) in 1968 and 1963 respectively. The publication of these three volumes of Flora of China indicates that substantial progress has been made in the compilation and research of Flora of China. However, the difficulties faced at that time were considerable. For example, many specimens and documents preserved abroad are hard to see, and there is a serious shortage of specimens in some areas of China, and young people lack training. At the same time, we also need more time to make a feasible compilation scheme and establish an effective management mechanism. We need reasonable division of labor and cooperation, unified compilation norms, strict peer review system and qualified young scientific and technological personnel. These problems will inevitably restrict the compilation and research of Flora of China. Therefore, at the enlarged meeting of the editorial board held in September 196 1, the articles of association, compilation rules and norms were revised. The editorial board of 1964 decided that each volume of Flora of China could be published in different volumes according to the actual situation, and at the same time, it also formulated the review method. The editorial board of 1965 revised the review method and changed some specifications, such as changing Roman characters in quotations into Arabic characters. 1966, the editorial board decided to organize forces to give priority to compiling topics with greater economic significance. However, shortly thereafter, due to well-known reasons, the compilation and research of Flora of China once stopped, and it could not be published in 10. In the meantime, we will continue this work by compiling and publishing the Atlas of Higher Plants in China, so as to meet the urgent needs of society, win national awards and international reputation, further sort out information and accumulate experience.
3. Recovery period
From 65438 to 0973, the Department of Biology of China Academy of Sciences held a conference on the compilation and research of Flora of China, Flora of China and Flora of Spore of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Three Records"), demanding that the compilation and research of Flora of China be gradually resumed. At this time, the editor-in-chief Qian and Chen Huanyong died successively. Most of the older plant taxonomists have died or are too old and weak to work normally. Therefore, at the beginning of the work recovery, the editorial board was adjusted first and the young and middle-aged editorial board was added.
Starting from 1973 and 1974, the editorial board published Compilation Brief and Reference Materials of Chinese Flora (mainly contemporary documents) from time to time. In addition, reference materials such as textual research of place names, Latin vocabulary, books and periodicals, author's initials and so on in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Qinghai and Tibet have been compiled. It plays an important role in unifying compilation norms and improving the quality of compilation research. 1963 After the publication of Volume 68 1 1 year, Volume 36 of Flora of China (Rosaceae) was published in February 1974. At this time, the compilation and research of Flora of China began to resume and start again. 1977 published three volumes: Volume 63 (Apocynaceae, Asclepiaceae), Volume 65, Volume 2, Volume 66 (Labiatae).
4. High-speed development and completion stage
Since 1978, the compilation and research of Flora of China has once again ushered in a scientific spring. The state held a national science conference in the spring of 1978, emphasizing that "science and technology are the primary productive forces". Encouraged by this situation, the editorial board of Flora of China has taken many measures to improve the editing quality, such as holding some papers exchange meetings and holding symposiums in some areas. At this time, the pace of local chronicles compilation was obviously accelerated, with three volumes published in 1978, ten volumes published in 1979 and three volumes published in 1980. In the science and technology development plan formulated by the State Science and Technology Commission, "Three Records" was listed as a major project and became one of the major national projects, and a joint editorial committee of "Three Records" was established. Editorial research funds are jointly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Academy of Sciences and the State Science and Technology Commission. The compilation and research of Flora of China has entered a period of rapid development. During this period, * * * won 9 first prizes, 32 second prizes and 3 third prizes 14 from Chinese Academy of Sciences and provincial natural sciences; First prize 1, second prize 5 and third prize 4 of National Natural Science Award. After that, it was published at an average rate of 4-5 volumes per year, and finally completed all the volumes of Flora of China in September 2004.
The total volume of Flora of China is 126, including 300 families, 3407 genera, 311species. It is a masterpiece with the richest number of families, genera and species in the published flora in the world. There are 3 12 editors and 164 drafters involved in the compilation research. After four generations' efforts, the family background of vascular plants in China was finally found out, which provided the most basic information and scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of plant resources and made great contributions to the sustainable development of biological resources in China. The publication of Flora of China has attracted worldwide attention. When China botanist 1979 visited the United States, he put forward suggestions for international cooperation. 1988, Yu Dexun, Wu Zhengyi and all members of the editorial board signed an agreement with P. Raven of Missouri Botanical Garden in the United States on behalf of China Academy of Sciences to jointly compile the English version of Flora of China, and established the editorial board of Flora of China, which officially started editing in 1989. The English version of Flora of China is actually an update, revision or second edition of Flora of China, which will be completed in cooperation with experts from all over the world. This is a milestone for Chinese flora to go international.
The compilation and research of Flora of China is a huge systematic project. The whole compilation and research work was completed with the support and funding of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Technology (formerly the State Science and Technology Commission) and the cooperation of colleges and universities. All works are published by Science Press of China Academy of Sciences. The preparation of the whole editing and research began in the 1930s, which lasted nearly 80 years, and it took 45 years from formal start to completion. The completion and publication of this masterpiece undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of plant resources in China.