A Checklist and Its Geographical Distribution of Higher Plants from Guangdong

Guangdong Province has a rich diversity of higher plants, ranking it sixth in China. This study compiles an updated dataset of higher plants with county-level records in Guangdong Province by drawing from sources including floras, illustrated plant books, nature reserve plant checklists, academic papers, dissertations, specimens, photos from the Plant Photo Bank of China, and our own field surveys. The resulting dataset details distributions of various taxa in specific counties and cities. The book contains 8,165 taxa from 374 families and 2,292 genera of higher plants in Guangdong. Native wild higher plants account for 6,903 taxa from 350 families and 1,830 genera, where bryophytes (including hornworts, liverworts and mosses) makeup 865 taxa from 96 families and 272 genera, lycopods and pteridophytes account for 645 taxa from 36 families and 123 genera, gymnosperms total 34 taxa from 7 families and 17 genera, and angiosperms makeup 5,359 taxa from 211 families and 1,418 genera. The families with the largest number of species are Poaceae, Fabaceae, Orchidaceae, Cyperaceae, Rubiaceae, Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lauraceae and Gesneriaceae. This dataset also includes 324 invasive species from 58 families and 204 genera, 266 species of naturalized plants from 65families and 213 genera, and 672 species of common cultivated plants from 128 families and 445 genera. Furthermore, this study provides a list of higher plants with excluded and dubious records; this list encompasses includes 905species from 183 families and 547 genera. This dataset will provide foundational information and a framework for the second edition of Flora of Guangdong.