Ecological Characteristics of Vines in the Region of South China
华南藤本植物的生态学特性

This paper, from the view point of ecology, is a brief introduction to the studies on the distribution of the flora, biological and ecological characteristics, growth forms, action participating in the forest structure of the vines in the region of south China.The region of south China comprises wild vascular vines 1154 species, 278 genera and 81 families. About 16% (woody vines 10%, herb vines 6%) of the region flora is vines. The main families of the vines are Asclepiadaceae, Papilionaceae, Vitaceae, Rubiaceae, Apocynaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Menispermaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Smilacaceae, Annonaceae etc.All the vines here are incorporated into four growth forms, i.e. twiners about 4.1% of the region flora, climbers 11%, creepers 0.5% and epiphytes 0.4%.According to the above basic characteristics of the vines in south China, We may divide this region into three subregions, i. e. the south part, the middle part and the north part.