Primulina petrocosmeoides B.Pan & F.Wen

GCCC news:

In Oct. 10, 2020, the list of second batch of National Flower Germplasm Banks with 33 institutions/universities/enterprises were announced by National Forestry and Grassland Administration. National Gesneriaceae Germplasm Bank in Guangxi Institute of Botany, CAS (GXIB, CAS) was on the list among 56 shortlisted institutions/universities/enterprises after preliminary assessment, online oral defenses and experts’ evaluation.

The application and construction of National Flower Germplasm Banks were raised by National Forestry and Grassland Administration and China Flower Association, in order to legitimately and effectively protect and use flower germplasm, promote flower cultivar innovation and boost floriculture industry. Thus, “Administrative Measures of National Flower Germplasm Bank” was published and the first batch National Flower Germplasm Banks (37) were certificated in 2016.

The Gesneriads are being highlighted by researchers, amateus and practitioners because of the highly scientific and ornamental value of this family. At present a total of 45 genera and 778 species are known in China, 625 are endemic and over half of them are endangered (by 1^st Oct., 2020). The study of Gesneriaceae by Chinese botanists was started in 1935 by Prof. Woon-Young Chun, the founder and the first director of Guangxi Institute of Botany. He published 3 new genera and 12 new species of Gesneriaceae from 1935 to 1946.

However, over the next nearly 30 years, there are no Chinese botanists to dabble with Gesneriads until the compilation Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (vol. 69) leading by Prof. Wen-Tsai Wang in 1975. In 1995, Yi-Gang Wei and He-Qun Wen published a new species Hemiboea magnibracteata Y.G. Wei & H.Q. Wen, restarted the study of Gesneriads in GXIB. After the efforts of several research groups in GXIB over 20 years, our institute rebecoming dominance in the study of Gesneriaceae taxonomy. In 2011, the proposal of establishing the Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC) was raised by Prof. Yi-Gang Wei and Mr. Stephen Maciejewski, and strongly supported by Guangxi Institute of Botany, CAS and the Gesneriad Society.

Primulina lutvittata F.Wen & Y.G.Wei

In 1^st Apr., 2014, GCCC was officially established in GXIB, and set up branches in Guizhou Botanical Garden, Fairylake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen, Anhui University and Shanghai Botanical Garden. Since GCCC established, 41 genus and 511 species of were collected, make up 91.11% and 65.68% respectively (by 30 Sept., 2020). GCCC has obtain 8 National Level and Ministerial & Provincial level funds, published 2 new genera and 76 new species, 94 papers (63 in SCI), registered 65 new cultivars internationally, awarded 2 Provincial level Natural Science Awards, cooperatively raised one doctor and six masters, visited U.K., U.S.A., Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and so on, for 63 times, and invited scholars from other countries around 40 times.

New taxa published by Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC) appear on the cover page of 2019 and 2020 Annual Checklist of CoL-China, showing the diversity of Chinese Gesneriaceae and the achievements we gained these years. Prof. Fang Wen, the director of GCCC has been elected as Ten-Hundred-Thousand People of New Century Talents Project (21^st batch) in 2018.

The certification of National Gesneriaceae Germplasm Bank in Guangxi Institute of Botany, CAS by National Forestry and Grassland Administration will promote the study and conservation of Gesneriaceae by GXIB, combining with “Establishment of Germplasm Sharing Platform of Gesneriaceae Endemic in Guangxi” (Guike), “National Specimen Information Infrastructrue (NSII), Establishment of Chinese Gesneriaceae database”, establishment of related platform in Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany and establishment of “Gesneriaceae Specialized Committee, China Wild Plant Conservation Association”.

Primulina leprosa (Yan Liu & W.B.Xu) W.B.Xu & K.F.Chung

Primulina yangchunensis Y.L.Zheng & Y.F.Deng

Glabrella mihieri (Franch.) Mich.Möller & W.H. Chen 

Glabrella leiophylla (Fang Wen & Y.G.Wei) Fang Wen, Y.G. Wei &Mich. Möller 

Oreocharis guileana (B.L. Burtt) L.H. Yang & F. Wen

Oreocharis flavovirens X. Hong

Petrocosmea parryrum C.E.C. Fischer

Petrocodon coccineus (C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li) Y.Z.Wang

Petrocodon pulchriflorus Y.B. Lu & Q. Zhang

Petrocodon mollifolius (W.T. Wang) A.Weber & Mich.Möller