Rhododendron species and communities in Guizhou (China).

摘要

Owing to the mild temperatures and rich rainfall, there are 86 species, three subspecies, and one variety of rhododendrons in Guizhou. The rich resource of rhododendron accounts for 10.6% and 16.7% of total species in the world and China, respectively. Among them, eight species and one variety are endemic. They are R. longesquamatum, R. decorum, R. agastum var. pennivenium, R. fuchsiifolium, R. kaliense, R. latoucheae, R. magniflorum, R. oblancifolium, and R. octandrum. Geographically, 15 species are common, which are distributed in majority areas near Guizhou, while the rest 37 species could only be distributed to a single county or site. There are 11 rhododendron communities in Guizhou. These communities are distributed throughout Guizhou area.