Plant collection activities of Western botanists in Southwest China (1840-1949)

Since the 19th century, as Western botanical expeditions extended into the hinterland of Asia, Southwest China has gradually become an important region for plant collection. However, systematic quantitative analyses of such plant collection activities are lacking. We reviewd the plant collection activities of eight renowned Western botanists in Southwest China from 1840 to 1949, as well as the taxonomic composition of the collected plants. A total of 56273 plant specimens were examined in this study, belonging to 7940 species, 1742 genera, and 304 families. Temporally, the sheets of specimens collected peaked during the thirty years from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Spatially, the collections were concentrated in the Hengduan Mountains and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, particularly in middle- and high-altitude regions. The most frequently collected plants belonged to families such as Ericaceae, Rosaceae, and Asteraceae. The plant collection activities of Western botanists in Southwest China provided specimen resources for taxonomic research, and offered valuable scientific references for advancing regional biodiversity conservation.