Flora of China

The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes. More than 30,000 plant species are native to China, representing nearly one-eighth of the world's total plant species, including thousands found nowhere else on Earth. China's land, extending over 9.6 million km, contains a variety of ecosystems and climates for plants to grow in. Some of the main climates include shores, tropical and subtropical forests, deserts, elevated plateaus and mountains. The events of the continental drift and early Paleozoic Caledonian movement also play a part in creating climatic and geographical diversity resulting in high levels of endemic vascular flora. These landscapes provide different ecosystems and climates for plants to grow in, creating a wide variety of different flora spanning over not just China, but different parts of the world .
Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is a deciduous conifer native to the Luchuan country of the Hubei province in China. It is listed as a Class I rare and endangered tree in China, part of a genus thought to be extinct until a grove was discovered by botanists in 1948 in Central China.It is the only remaining species of Metasequoia with only approximately 5000 individuals left in the wild.
Gutta-percha tree (Eucommia ulmoides) is a small tree that has alternately arranged, deciduous leaves and is almost threatened in the wild. However, it is widely cultivated by the people of China for its bark which has medicinal properties. It is also important in China's natural rubber producing industry as its leaf produces a latex compound when torn which dries into rubber.
Happy tree (Camptotheca acuminate) is a low-growing deciduous tree native to the warm, humid river banks along the Yangtze River. The leaves, bark, roots, and seeds have medicinal properties that have been used to treat the common cold, liver problems, digestive problems, and psoriasis in the past. Yunnan cypress (Cupressus duclouxiana) is an endemic coniferous tree species that occur in the low altitude regions of Central China. This species is threatened by habitat loss and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Other native plants include golden larch (Pseudolarix kaempferi), dove-tree (Davidia involucrata), China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate), Fujian Cypress (Fokienia hodginsii), Tienchi Ginseng (Panax notoginseng) and Lycium chinense.
The fungal flora of China is extensive with over 27,000 fungal species. As of 2018, China has reported 1789 edible fungi and 798 medicinal fungi. Notably, fungi played a vital part of China's traditional native plant use, with recent archaeology findings determining its significance in regions of China around 6000 years ago and dating as far back as the Tang dynasty (600–900 ce). Consequently, its significance in Chinese herbal medicine, culture, and cuisine broadened their understanding of the plant, resulting in our more intricate knowledge of fungi. The use of Chinese fungi was first documented in an ancient Chinese book dating to the second century, entitled Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), which references 14 different types of fungi used among a total of 365 herbal medicines.
The fungal records from the Checklist of Fungi in China and the Flora Fungorum Sinicorum series reveal that the distribution of fungi in China is uneven, particularly in Northwest China. Northwest China includes the provinces of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and Shaanxi making up over 30% of the country's territory, however, only 3887 species of fungi out of 759 genera have been yielded there. In comparison, the tropical regions of South-Central China and Southwest China, which includes the provinces of Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan, account for less than 5% of the country's territory but have yielded 5,056 species in 1192 general. However, there is a difference in the precipitation levels in both areas and these climatic and geographical conditions may possibly be a reason for the fungal diversity in the two regions.
Mushroom cultivation plays a major role in the ecological and social development of China. According to the State of World's fungi report 2018, over 100 species of fungi have been domesticated for cultivation with around 60% being produced commercially.It not only provides food but also income and around 25 million jobs. China has become one of the largest edible mushroom producers in the world reaching an estimated annual yield of over 38 million tonnes.