Liu, Li, Jarvis and Long, 2015 Aroid crops in China Aroid crops in China Yujing Liu, Heng Li, Devra Jarvis, Chunlin Long* Yujing Liu Jiangsu University No.301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
[email protected] Minzu University of China 27 Zhong-guan-cun South Ave, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China Heng Li Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China Email:
[email protected] Devra Jarvis Bioversity International Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese, Rome, Italy
[email protected] Chunlin Long* Author for correspondings. Minzu University of China 27 Zhong-guan-cun South Ave, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China Email:
[email protected], Tel/fax: +86–10–68930381 ABSTRACT in Chinese history and nowadays. They are The history of aroid cultivation in China taro (Colocasia esculenta, a common food was briefly introduced in the present paper. crop), konjac (Amorphophallus konjac, a Based on the approaches of literature study medicinal and industrial crop), and Ban Xia and field investigation, 16 species in the (Pinellia ternata, an important herbal family Araceae were recognized as crops medicinal crop). The taxonomic issues at cultivated in the country. Among them, species and cultivar levels were argued and three species are with very high values both Aroideana VOL 38E NO 1, 2015 116 Liu, Li, Jarvis and Long, 2015 Aroid crops in China discussed. Suggestions for future studies World tropics, Old World tropics and north were proposed for aroid crop development.