Author | Yiyang
Recently, the "Anatomical Atlas of Begonia Plant Morphology" (Chinese and English bilingual edition) edited by researchers from Shenzhen Xianhu Botanical Garden was published by China Agricultural Press. The book systematically summarizes the origin and distribution of Begonia, the classification system, the history of introduction, cultivation and breeding, horticultural classification and morphological characteristics, and shows the overall morphology of 95 representative native species and 32 cultivars of Begonia and the anatomical details of their stems, leaves, flowers and other organs.
▲ "Begonia Plant Morphological Anatomy Illustrated" (Chinese and English bilingual edition) Editor-in-chief: Li Lingfei Yang Leilei
Begonia, this beautiful and diverse plant family, is unique in the plant world with its rich variety and unique charm. Begonia is one of the top five genera in the number of vascular plant species in the world, with more than 2,100 native species and tens of thousands of artificially cultivated varieties. Based on the rich collection and research of Begonia resources in the early stage, researchers from Xianhu Botanical Garden selected 127 representative species, summarized and described the taxonomic identification characteristics, and provided readers with more than 2,000 anatomical maps.
There are about 160 species in Africa, which are the center of origin of Begonia, and more than 800 in the Americas and 1000 in Asia, which are the centers of diverse evolution. At present, more than 277 taxa (including 253 species, 7 natural hybrids, 3 subspecies and 14 varieties) have been recorded in China, making it one of the countries with the largest distribution of Begonia in the world. The map of China in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China is somewhat similar to begonia leaves in morphology, that is, there is "continental topography, such as begonia leaves." out of the Bohai Sea, like the stem of a leaf; west to the green ridge, such as the tip of the leaf; provinces and vassals, together as a whole leaf".
This book provides comprehensive basic information for the appreciation, protection, cultivation and development and utilization of Begonia plants. It is not only an important reference book for researchers in botany, horticulture and other related fields, as well as teachers and students of colleges and universities, but also has a certain reference value for art designers, nature photography enthusiasts and home gardening enthusiasts.