Chinese Virtual Herbarium(CVH): A National Taxonomic Database

Qin Hai-Ning (hainingqin@ibcas.ac.cn), Ma Ke-Ping (kpma@ibcas.ac.cn)

Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 100093

CVH is a World Wide Web(WWW)-based system reached at http://www.cvh.org.cn. It provides immediate on-line access to the wealth of data associated with several million plant specimens maintained in China herbaria and the related botanical database. The core of current CVH is its information of two millions specimens of China higher plants. Attached to this database backbone are various botanical database, of which the special interest to taxonomists are a synonymized checklist and digitalized Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae(FRPS). Photographs are provided for about 2,000 species, and northern plants are especially well represented. The data are contributed by various herbaria/institutions country-wide and is maintained by the Institute of Botany of CAS(IBCAS). The purpose of CVH is to served as a national bank for plant specimens data and a taxonomic standard for plant names The information in CVH—especially specimens data and data of plant distribution, synonym and vernacular name and endangerment status—makes it a valuable tools for those engaged in floristic and monographic studies of China plants, as well as those working at horticulture, conservation and education. Major tasks for the next few years include improving and updating the data, adding more images and photographs to the species, setting up English version and strengthen international data sharing and cooperation.

CVH is a collaborative project of the Chinese Herbarium community and is financially supported by Ministry of Science and Technology(MOST) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).

Keywords: CVH, specimens data, synonymized checklist, FRPS, higher plants,China, IBCAS