The Chinese area of the Pacific Connections Garden is focused on the plants of Mount Omei (or Emei), in Sichuan Province of China. This region is known for having many endemic plants, many described in volume 2 of “Icones plantarum omeiensium.”
This publication was edited by Fang Wen-Pei, a Scottish-trained Chinese scientist who returned to China in the late 1930s and was a biology professor at Sichuan University until his death in 1983. The research occurred during the very challenging period of World War II, with this second volume being published in two parts between 1945-1946.
Focused on trees, 100 species are profiled and described in both English and Chinese. Excellent, uncolored engravings of leaves, flowers, and fruit are typically near life size on very fine paper. In addition to a detailed, botanical description, each entry includes locations where each can be found on Mount Omei and elsewhere in China.
Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on February 24, 2025
Excerpted from the Spring 2025 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin