Beijing — Rice, wheat, bamboo, and the grasses growing along roadsides all belong to the Poaceae family—a plant family that underpins global food security, terrestrial ecosystems, and biodiversity. A new study published in the 2026 Issue 4 of Biodiversity Science presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date checklist of grasses in China, documenting 2,304 grass species in 283 genera, 37 tribes, 7 supertribes, and 10 subfamilies. Together, these account for approximately one-sixth of the world's grass species , reinforcing China's position as one of the world's most important centers of grass diversity.
The checklist comprises 1,978 native and 326 alien grass species , with more than 100 additional native species discovered and described since the publication of Flora of China nearly two decades ago. The study further reveals that 52% (1,028 species) of China's native grass species are endemic , occurring nowhere else in the world, while 12 endemic genera are all confined to the bamboo subfamily. Native grass diversity is concentrated in Southwest China and South China , which together contain 92% of China's native genera and 76% of its native grass species . Yunnan, Xizang, and Sichuan are among the most species-rich provincial-level regions.
The checklist also identifies 54 threatened grass species, 45 nationally or provincially protected species , and 44 invasive alien grass species .
The updated checklist provides a new baseline for understanding the diversity and distribution of grasses in China and offers essential support for biodiversity conservation, taxonomy, grassland ecosystem management, and the sustainable use of grass resources. It also provides critical scientific evidence for protecting endemic and threatened species, strengthening the management of invasive alien species, and guiding future field surveys and taxonomic research in underexplored regions.
Original Source : Hao Liu, Yuxiao Zhang, Bing Liu, Feifei Li, Hongzheng Ma, Haining Qin, Dezhu Li, Wenli Chen (2026) Diversity and checklist of grasses (Poaceae) in China. Biodiversity Science, 34, 25438. DOI: 10.17520/biods.2025438.
About Biodiversity Science
Launched in 1993—the same year China ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity—Biodiversity Science (http://www.biodiversity-science.net) has grown into a leading journal in China’s biological sciences. Rooted in China with a global outlook, the journal showcases the country’s progress in biodiversity research and has steadily gained international influence.
Biodiversity Science
Diversity and checklist of grasses (Poaceae) in China
6-May-2026