| Abstract: | A numerical taxonomic study of the distribution patterns of the total 72 species of
Chinese Viburnum using association-analysis method is presented to add some information for
the regionalization of the Chinese flora. The fact that the center of genetic diversity of Chinese
Viburnum is in the south central part rather than in the southern or southwestern part of China
suggests strongly the subtropical nature of the genus under study. Southwestern Sichuan is the
most concentrated region of western endemic species. Inspite of the topographical complexity
of the Hengduan Mountain Ranges, only a few Viburnum species occur in this region. The
species in Taiwan are largely of subtropical nature and are mostly identical with those on the
mainland. Their distribution patterns show that the island is floristically more closely related to the mainland of China or even to Japan than to the Malaysian region. As a whole, the
general conclusions reached here correspond with those of C. Y. Wu for the Chinese spermatophytic flora, yet differ in certain respects of minor significance. Attempts have also been
made to relate the distribution patterns of species with physiographic, climatic and vegetational conditions in our discussion. |
