Orchids in China: Biodiversity and Conservation

Orchidaceae are one of the largest families of angiosperms, consisting of approximately 750 genera and 27,000 species, of which many are important in horticulture and in traditional Chinese medicine. Due to their attractiveness and often high extinction risk, orchids are among the flagships for biological conservation. All orchid species are listed in CITES appendix I or II. About 1,600 orchid species in 198 genera have been recorded from China, and all five subfamilies are represented there.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in orchid biodiversity studies and conservation in China, especially the discovery of species new to science, phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology, and in situ & ex situ conservation.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to (1) documentation of new orchid species in China, including their conservation status; (2) phylogenetics of Orchidaceae; (3) biogeography of Orchidaceae; (4) in situ & ex situ conservation of orchids; (5) ecology and population dynamics of orchids, and (6) high-quality reviews on these subjects.

Publication Target Dates

• Paper submission deadline: October 30, 2020
• Initial review completed: December 31, 2020
• Special Issue publication date: February 1, 2021

Special Issue Guest Editors

• Dr. Andre Schuiteman, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, UK 
• Prof. Xiaohua Jin, Institute of Botany, CAS 
• Prof. Zhekun Zhou, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS