South China Botanical Garden Wins First Prize of National Natural Science Awards

On January 11th, 2010, the annual national science and technology awards ceremony was held in Beijing. Completed by Institute of Botany, CAS, South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), CAS, and Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS (the same ranking for the three institutions), the achievement of compilation and research for "Flora of China" was awarded first prize of 2009' National Natural Science Awards. This result changed the embarrassing situation that the first prize was in vacancies for two consecutive years, and became the only first prize of natural science for year 2009. This is also the first time in the history that SCBG received the first prize of National Natural Science Awards.

South China Institute of Botany (SCIB) / SCBG is the chief editor to complete 31 volumes of "Flora of China", as well as involved in the preparation of 34 books, which account for 24.6% and 27.0% of the total volumes and books (80 volumes 126 books), respectively. These volumes (books) have been awarded more than 10 times for second prize (or above) in the national, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ministries and provincial awards. Among the major award-winning staffs who received the first prize of the National Natural Science, the one ranking second is the first director of SCIB, academician CHEN Huanyong, who was the chief editor of the first editorial board for "Flora of China"; the one ranking sixth is the retired staff of SCBG, Prof. HU Qiming, a well-known plant taxonomist. He was a member of the sixth and seventh editorial board for "Flora of China", and he and Prof. CHEN Fenghuai compiled No. 1 and No.2 books of Volume 59, and was involved in the compilation of volume 75 and so on.

The compilation of "Flora of China" is a kind of encyclopedic and systematical study, completed by four-generation plant taxonomists' efforts for 41 years (1918-1959) in preparation, another 45 years (1959-2004) in editing and research, and collaboration by 146 units, 312 authors and 164 illustrators (including 10 academicians of CAS), and finally published in 2004. "Flora of China" is the pioneering achievement of innovative, systematic, fundamental work for China's half-century research in botany. Its completion not only enhanced the healthy development of Chinese botany, but also led advances in related biology disciplines, and will make far-reaching impact and magnificent contribution to biological diversity and sustainable development for China and the world.