Number of Species and Geographical Distribution of Diospyros L. (Ebenaceae) in China

Diospyros L. is the largest, most widely distributed, and economically important genus of the family Ebenaceae. However, various researchers disagree on the number of species and geographical distribution of Diospyros in China. For the purpose of providing a scientific basis for the effective protection and rational use of Diospyros, the present study involved a comprehensive review of the literature, electronic databases, and herbaria as well as field investigations. The results showed as the following. (1) While 174 scientific names have been published for various taxa of Diospyros in China, by screening and excluding synonyms, 65 species names were considered acceptable; these account for about 12% of the total species of Diospyros globally. (2) A review of herbarium specimens documented that Diospyros occurs in 28 administrative regions of China, more than the literature records. Species richness decreases from south to north in China while Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hainan have the greatest number of species. (3) Among the 65 relatively reliable Diospyros species, 45 species are endemic to China and 18 species are stenochoric. Some species may have become extinct as a result of environmental degradation and the status of some germplasm remain unresolved. In brief, Chinese Diospyros includes abundant, China-specific, and widely distributed features. Nevertheless, comprehensive species delimitation and the analysis of phylogenetic relationships will still require further study.