Sanqing Mountain World Geopark is located in the eastern part of the subtropical zone of central China and belongs to the East China region of the China-Japan plant subregion within the Pan-Arctic flora. Due to its warm and humid climate, abundant sunlight, plentiful rainfall, as well as excellent water and heat conditions and diverse terrain, the area has nurtured a rich variety of plant species. The park has identified 2,373 species of higher plants, belonging to 253 families and 984 genera. Among them, there are 368 species of moss plants in 65 families and 165 genera; 179 species of ferns in 34 families and 71 genera; 24 species of gymnosperms in 6 families and 22 genera; and 1,802 species of angiosperms in 148 families and 726 genera. The area not only harbors a large number of plants from the evergreen broad-leaved forests of China's central subtropical zone but also serves as the world distribution center of pine-family Cephalotaxus species, particularly the East China Cephalotaxus.
The park contains 68 genera of plants with East Asia–North America disjunct distributions, accounting for 56.2% of the total genera of such plants in China. This indicates that Sanqing Mountain is not only a core part of the East Asia–North American disjunct flora but also one of the important plant distribution centers in East Asia. The East China Cephalotaxus covers an area of 533 hectares, making it the largest distribution area in East China. In addition, the flourishing and stable communities of East China Cephalotaxus indicate that this is an excellent location for studying the origin of the migration of pine species and the evolutionary history of North American Tsuga (hemlock).
In the core area of Sanqing Mountain, which is rich in species diversity as well as characteristic and endemic species, various characteristic plant communities formed from them can be regarded as corridors of species and ecological wonders. Along the gradient of the high-altitude walkway on the west coast, different characteristic species appear in sequence. At low altitudes, the dominant species include Monkey Head Rhododendron, Huangshan Pine, Cyclobalanopsis, Magnolia, Sorbus, Corydalis Rhubarb, Mountain Willow, Lithocarpus, Elaeagnus, and Leopard-Patterned Camphor tree; at mid-altitudes, there are many rare and endangered species such as Huangshan Magnolia, Southern Yew, East China Yellow Cedar, Southern Hemlock, and Fujian Cypress; at high altitudes, the dominant species include Taiwan Pine, East China Yellow Cedar, Kucho, Lantern Flower, Mountain Willow, and Yushan Arrow Bamboo.
From Nanqing Garden to the southeastern Jinsai lowland valley is Giant Python Valley. Rare species or characteristic species of plant flora there include Long-Stemmed Twinflower, Stumptree, Huangshan Magnolia, Water Pear, Wax Petal Flower, and White Yew, among which many species belong to genera with disjunct distribution between East Asia and North America, such as Stumptree, Huangshan Magnolia, Interamp, Tung Tree, Southern Yew, False Maple Bark, Mouse Thorn, and Silver Bell Flower.
From the overall region of Mount Sanqing, there exist large areas of various rare communities, such as the Chinese yew forest community, East China yellow fir forest community, two-flowered tree community, Paulownia forest community, southern hemlock forest community, pearl boxwood shrub community, false-drum tree bark forest community, and ailanthus forest community. Many of the dominant and community-building species listed above are disjunctively distributed between East Asia and North America and are also very typical ancient groups. Especially at elevations of 1300-1600m, in plots of approximately 1200-1600m², characteristic species representing families such as Hamamelidaceae, Magnoliaceae, Taxaceae, and Theaceae appear in sequence. These species are disjunctively distributed between East Asia and North America, are primitive groups of gymnosperms and angiosperms, and are characteristic species of the subtropical mountain flora of China.
The park has nine vegetation types, mainly consisting of evergreen broadleaf forests, mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests, warm-temperate evergreen conifer-broadleaf mixed forests, warm-temperate coniferous forests, and dwarf bent forests, with temperate coniferous forests, temperate conifer-broadleaf mixed forests, bamboo forests, and alpine meadows interspersed among them.
Dwarf bent forests are the type that most vividly reflects the unique aesthetic value of Mount Sanqing's beautiful ecological landscape, mainly distributed on steep slopes at an elevation of 1000m, and are therefore also called "steep slope dwarf bent forests." The main plant components include Huangshan pine, Chinese yew, prickly juniper, Torreya, Yushan bamboo, Rhododendron cloud brocade, and campanula. Alpine meadows are found on gentle slopes with good water retention at elevations of 1500-1600m, and the main plants include Eriophorum vaginatum and other capitulate sedges.
In addition, during the middle and late periods of the Tertiary, due to its warm and humid climate conditions and complex terrain, Sanqing Mountain became a "biological refuge" for many ancient plant species. The shapes of these preserved relict plants are basically the same as those found in fossils, maintaining the primitive forms of their ancient ancestors, and are also known as "living fossil" plants. The relict plant species of Sanqing Mountain are very diverse, including ginkgo, tulip tree, plum-yew, Fujian cypress, and long-stalked double-flower tree, fully demonstrating the richness and uniqueness of Sanqing Mountain's relict flora.
Introduction to Rare Plants of Sanqing Mountain
