Introduction to the wild resources of the genus Boehmeria Jacq. in China

China, the native home of ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaud. var. nivea), possesses many wild species in the genus Boehmeria Jacq., including many those rare valuables in some characteristics such as stress resistance and fiber qualities that can be used for biological engineering, genetics and breeding research. From 1995 to 1999, 130 samples of the genus Boehmeria that belong to 22 species and 6 varieties, were collected in 34 counties of 14 provinces in China in the region of ϕN18.8–34.2° and λE101–121°. The gene pool of wild species of the genus Boehmeria was constructed at Yichun, Jiangxi Province and 77 samples belonging to 8 species and 4 varieties were conserved alive. The collected species are classified into 5 sections i.e. Boehmeria, Tilocnide Bl., Zollingerianae Satake, Phyllostachys W. T. Wang and Duretia Bl., according to the morphology. They may also be divided into hygric type, moderately hygric type, semi-shade-hygrophyte and xeromorphy, based on their ecological adaptability and primitive growing circumstances. The distribution of the wild species and populations in the genus Boehmeria is related to the altitude.