Nomenclatural revision of 36 species of plants in the Chinese herbae 《Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao》

Chen Chong-Ming

Received:1900-01-01 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:1981-02-18 Published:1981-02-18
Contact: Chen Chong-Ming

Abstract:

The “Iconographia Plantarum” written by Wu Chi-Tseng in the Qing Dynasty

(A. D. 1848) is a classical monumental work in the literature of botany. 1714 species

of plants widely-spread all over 19 provinces of our country, especeally in Jiangxi,

Hunan and Yunnan Provinces, were described in this book.

nan and Yunnan Provinces, were described try, especeally in Jiangxi, Hunan and Yun.

In order to make the plant names coincide with the original material as possible,

the author had commented upon chinese herbal in considerable detail. Most of the

plants were illustrated after their habitual appearence in somewhat clear manner.

As a means for identifying certain species of the plant, this work has been playing an

important role in development of modern botanical science in China.

In modern taxonomical books a great deal of chinese name of plants are originated

from this book, and they were available for reference to numerous researchers both at

home and abroad. On account of inadequate observation, a lot of mistakes or misleadings

occured in this book, and often been overlooked by the later botanists. Some of the

modern authors still adhere to the work “Iconographia Plantarum”and even quoting

the erroneous statement from it, thus we have to correct.

This paper annotates and commentates the misleading items of 36 species of plant,

and calls for the attention to the future readers.

Chen Chong-Ming. Nomenclatural revision of 36 species of plants in the Chinese herbae 《Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao》[J]. .

Knowledge