THE PRESENT SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF PLANT TAXONOMY IN CHINA

Facing still unresolved taxonomic problems in many plant groups and ov ershadowed by recent economic and social changes, classical plant taxo nomy in China is seriously threatened by the gradual loss of taxonomis ts and funding, not to mention the extinction of undescribed plant tax a resulting from environmental degradation at the approach of the 21st century. The status of floristic projects, taxonomic publications, an d the staff and students of herbaria and botanical institutes is prese nted. The solution to problems limiting plant taxonomic research and f loristics in China appears to be dependent primarily on supporting cur rent co-operative projects and raising additional research funds throu gh Chinese and international collaborative efforts.