Abstract:

This paper compares the flora of the Shandong peninsula with the neighboring floras on the south-central low hills of Shandong, the Liaodong peninsula and the northern Taihang and Heng mountains as a means to determine the appropriate classification for the Shandong and Liaodong peninsula floras. Shandong peninsula flora and the low hills flora of south-central Shandong have high homologies and a close relationship determined by similarity coefficients of genera. An UPGMA analysis illustrated a strong clustering of spermatophyta genera among Shandong peninsula, Liaodong peninsula and the north Taihang-Heng mountain floras. Our results do not support the view of Wu Zhengyi and Wang Hesheng who suggested that the Shandong peninsula flora and Liaodong peninsula flora should be divided into different subregions. The authors suggested that the Liaodong peninsula flora should be divided into the North China mountain flora and the Shandong-Liaodong hill be renamed as the Shandong hill subregion flora. Previous China vegetation classifications were based on the view that the Liaodong peninsula flora belonged to the warm temperate northern deciduous Quercus subzone and Shandong peninsula flora belonged to the warm temperate southern deciduous Quercus subzone.

Key words: Flora, Liaodong peninsula, Shandong peninsula