AN APPROACH TO THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG CINNAMOMUM CHEKIANGENSE AND ITS ALLIES

Cinnamomum chekiangense Nakai, C.chenii Nakai and C.japonicum Sieb. are closely relative plants. The argument on their relationship has been discussed for more than 60 years and no definete conclusion are gotten The authors had taken a series of research work, including the review of some original literatures, the examination of the herbarium specimens, and the expedition to the type localities——the Putuo Mountains and Hangzhou. We had collected so many fresh materials, such as leaves, berries and specimens,and had taken the phytogeographical and morphological studies, and the chemical analysis of the seedoil, and the application of electron microscope. The results confirmed the au-tthorst belief that C.chekiangense is a indigenous species to Central and Eas China, and C.chenii should be put down under the name of C.japonicum as a variety——C. japonicum Sieb. var. chenii (Nakai) G.F.Tao, stat.nov., which is considered as an endemic species of the Putuo Mountains in Zhejiang Province, China. As for C.japonicum var. japonicum, it has a distribution ranging from Japan and Korea to Taiwan. A full description of above-mentioned plants is given in this paper.