Flora of East Asia and its genesis

Abstract

East Asia is a very integral region, the East Asian sub-kingdom of the Holarctic, in which two large areas stand out: the Sino-Himalayan and Sino-Japanese. The flora of East Asia is rich and unique. About 25 000 species of vascular plants grow in this area. There are about 23 endemic families and over 350 endemic genera. The number of endemic species is about 15 000. In East Asia, there are modern centers of diversity for many plants, but there are also many relict groups that have survived in this territory from past richly developed types.