Chinese botanists have set up the world's only golden camellia gene
bank in the Golden Camellia Nature Reserve in Fangchenggang City,
Guangxi,
Xinhua News
Agency has reported recently. This marks the culmination of
nearly four-year's work of selective propagation and seed
harvesting.
Huang Fuping is an engineer with the nature reserve. He advises
that so far they have introduced 23 species and five variant types
of the golden camellia. The gene bank will have a significant
impact on environmental research and preservation worldwide as well
as on the commercial exploitation of the golden camellia.
As
the only species in the camellia family with golden petals, the
golden camellia carries genes that are of particular value not only
in scientific research but also in camellia cultivation and
horticulture.
Held in high regard as the "Empress of the camellia family," this
is an ancient plant with a narrow distribution. It is difficult to
propagate and so is treasured as the "giant panda of the plant
world."
At
present there are 32 species and 7 variant types of golden
camellias known in the world. Guangxi has 28 species and all 7
variant types. Of these, 27 species and all 7 variant types are
unique to the province.
In
the south and southwest of Guangxi, the southern fringe of the
sub-tropical zone meets the northern fringe of the tropical zone.
It is here in a tropical monsoon climate that we find the home of
the golden camellia.
The golden camellia became known to the world at large only in
1960. Since then people have tried to obtain the rare plant by
unscrupulous means so threatening damage to this important natural
resource.
Located in Fangcheng district of Fangchenggang City and covering an
area of 9,915 hectares (24,500 acres), the Guangxi Golden Camellia
Nature Reserve is the world's only nature reserve for the
golden-camellia. The reserve has 27,300 Dongxing golden camellias
which are found nowhere else in the world.
(china.org.cn by Wang Qian August 5, 2002)