The flora of Japan comprises a large assemblage of plant species which can be found in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, such as

sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

, katsura, momiji and

azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus '' Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections '' Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Oct ...

. There are many species which are endemic to Japan.

Diversity

Japan has significant diversity in flora. Of approximately 5,600 total vascular plant species, almost 40% are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

. This richness is due to the significant variation in latitude and altitude across the country, a diversity of climatic conditions due to monsoons, and multiple geohistorical incidences of connections with the mainland.

Vegetation types

Japan consists of roughly 4 vegetation zones that are delineated by temperature and precipitation: the alpine region, subalpine region, summer-green broad-leaved forest region and evergreen broad-leaved forest region. Due to its substantial length of over 3,000 km from north to south and its mountain ranges that can exceed 3,000 meters, Japan's vegetation varies by latitude and by altitude. Evergreen forests tend to appear in the southern half of the Japanese mainland, with broad leaf forests, subalpine, and alpine appearing with increasing frequency to the north and near mountains.

Evergreen broad-leaved forest region

The evergreen forest zone can be found along the coasts of the southern half of Japan and is most common zone in the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yon ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

and,

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

as well as parts of southwestern

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island s ...

with equal longitude. This region rises up to an elevation of 750 meters near Tokyo. At the coasts, the dominant forest canopy species are '' Castanopsis cuspidata'' and ''

Machilus thunbergii ''Machilus thunbergii'' (syn. ''Persea thunbergii''), the Japanese bay tree, red machilus, or tabunoki, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true l ...

''. Inland, trees belonging to the genus ''

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...

'' are dominant. In lower layers, trees and shrub species include ''

Camellia japonica ''Camellia japonica'', known as common camellia, or Japanese camellia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Theaceae. There are thousands of cultivars of ''C. japonica'' in cultivation, with many colors and forms of flowers. In the U.S. ...

'', ''

Neolitsea sericea ''Neolitsea sericea'' is a species of tree in the family Lauraceae. It is found in China, Taiwan (Orchid Island, Green Island), south Korea, and Japan. Its natural habitat is on forest margins and slopes, and it is often found in well-progresse ...

'', '' Aucuba japonica'', and '' Eurya japonica''. It is a characteristic of this zone that all these are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

species.

Summergreen broad-leaved forest region

These forests can be found in central Japan above 1,000 meters altitude and throughout parts of

Hokkaido is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

at elevations between 700 and 1,600 meters. These forests are also called Fagus crenata forests due to the prevalence of this tree species. On the western side, common species include '' Daphniphyllum macropodum'', ''

Cephalotaxus harringtonii ''Cephalotaxus harringtonia'', commonly known as Japanese plum-yew, Harrington's cephalotaxus, or cowtail pine, is a coniferous bush or small tree in the family Taxaceae. It is native to Japan, but is occasionally utilised in western gardens ...

'', and '' Aucuba japonica''. On the eastern side facing the Pacific Ocean, important species include ''Ulmus japonica'', ''Arachniodes standishii '', and ''Laportea macrostachya''. This region has been particularly affected by human development and clearing of natural forests. Cleared lands tend to be replanted with ''

Larix kaempferi ''Larix kaempferi'', the Japanese larch or karamatsu () in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera ...

'', ''Cryptomeria japonica '', and ''

Chamaecyparis obtusa ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and or ...

''.

Subalpine and alpine regions

In Honshu, from 1,600 to 2,500 meters, and Hokkaido at slightly lower altitudes, character species in the subalpine zone are '' Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', ''

Vaccinium ovalifolium ''Vaccinium ovalifolium'' (commonly known as Alaska blueberry, early blueberry, oval-leaf bilberry, oval-leaf blueberry, and oval-leaf huckleberry) is a plant in the heath family having three varieties, all of which grow in northerly regions, in ...

'', '' Neottia cordata'', '' Coptis trifolia''. Distinguishing trees include ''

Abies mariesii ''Abies mariesii'' (Maries' fir, in Japanese, オオシラビソ or アオモリトドマツ, Ōshirabiso, or Aomoritodomatsu) is a fir native to the mountains of central and northern Honshū, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 750–1,900 m ...

'', ''

'', and ''

Tsuga diversifolia ''Tsuga diversifolia'', commonly known as the northern Japanese hemlock, or in Japanese, kometsuga (米栂), is a species of conifer native to the Japanese islands of Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku. In Europe and North America, the specie ...

''. Above 2500 meters, vegetation has to contend with significant snowfall and high winds. Genera that can survive in these conditions include ''Phyllodoce'' and '' Harrimanella''.

List

Cercidiphyllum ''Cercidiphyllum'' is a genus containing two species of plants, both commonly called katsura. They are the sole members of the monotypic family Cercidiphyllaceae. The genus is native to Japan and China and unrelated to ''Cercis'' (redbuds). ...

Japanese maple ''Acer palmatum'', commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: ''irohamomiji'', , or ''momiji'', (栴), is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Rus ...

Azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus '' Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections '' Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Oct ...

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the cent ...

* Reynoutria japonica *

Japanese beech The name Japanese beech can refer to two different species of beech tree, both native to Japan. *''Fagus crenata'', also called Siebold's beech, (ブナ, ''buna'' in Japanese) *''Fagus japonica ''Fagus japonica'', known as the Japanese beech, Ja ...

* Konara *

Cherry blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...

* Pinus pumila * Hinoki cypress *

Japanese red pine ''Pinus densiflora'', also called the Japanese red pine, the Japanese pine, or Korean red pine, is a species of pine tree native to East Asia. Distribution and habitat ''P. densiflora'' has a home range that includes Japan, the Korean Peninsul ...

* sakaki evergreen *

Japanese red cedar ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' (syn. ''Cupressus japonica' ...

* Pinus luchuensis * Cryptotaenia japonica *

Acer ginnala ''Acer ginnala'', the Amur maple, is a plant species with woody stems native to northeastern Asia from easternmost Mongolia east to Korea and Japan, and north to the Russian Far East in the Amur River valley. It is a small maple with deciduous l ...

Wasabi Wasabi ( Japanese: , , or , ; ''Eutrema japonicum'' or ''Wasabia japonica'') or Japanese horseradish is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. The plant is native to Japan and the Russi ...

* Nandina * Japanese holly * Japanese iris * Juniperus procumbens *

Pittosporum tobira ''Pittosporum tobira'' is a species of sweet-smelling flowering plant in the pittosporum family Pittosporaceae known by several common names, including Australian laurel, Japanese pittosporum, mock orange and Japanese cheesewood. It is native to ...

* Hosta * Styrax japonicus * Wisteria floribunda * Japanese black pine *

Prunus × yedoensis ''Prunus'' × ''yedoensis'' (synonym ''Cerasus'' × ''yedoensis'') is a hybrid cherry tree between '' Prunus speciosa'' (''Oshima cherry'') as father plant and ''Prunus pendula'' f. ''ascendens'' (syn. ''Prunus itosakura'', ''Prunus subhir ...

Pinus amamiana ''Pinus amamiana'' (Amami pine, Yakushima white pine) is a species of pine. It is a native of southern Japan, on the islands of Yakushima and Tanegashima south of Kyūshū. It has also been grown horticulturally in Japanese parks. This pine can g ...

Acer japonicum ''Acer japonicum'', Fullmoon Maple, Downy Japanese-Maple ( ja, はうちは楓, translit=hauchiwakaede), is a species of maple native to Japan, on Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū (Nagasaki Prefecture), and also southern Korea.Kanagawa Prefecture tre ...

* Sciadopitys * Myoga *

Chamaecyparis pisifera ''Chamaecyparis pisifera'' (Sawara cypress or Sawara ja, サワラ , translit=Sawara) is a species of false cypress, native to central and southern Japan, on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and ...

* Gastrodia amamiana *

Juglans ailantifolia ''Juglans ailantifolia'' (synonyms ''J. cordiformis'' and ''J. sieboldiana'' and '' J. mandshurica'' var. ''sachalinensis''), the Japanese walnut ( ja, 鬼胡桃 ''oni-gurumi''), is a species of walnut native to Japan and Sakhalin. It is a de ...

Yomogi ''Artemisia princeps'', also called Yomogi, Japanese mugwort, Korean wormwood, Korean mugwort or first wormwood in English, is an Asian plant species in the sunflower family, native to China, Japan and Korea. It is a perennial, very vigorous pl ...

Publications

The flora of Japan is extensively described in scientific publications such as : * Makino, T., 1940. Illustrated flora of Japan. Hokuryukan (with renewed editions in 1961 and 1996) * Ohwi, J., 1965. Flora of Japan (in English). A combined, much revised, and extended translation. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. * Iwatsuki, K. (岩槻, 邦男), Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (大場, 秀章), 1993-2020. Flora of Japan. Kodansha ** vol. 1 : Pteridophyta and Gymnospermae (1995) ** vol. 2a-c : Angiospermae, Dicotyledoneae, Archichlamydeae (1999-2006) ** vol. 3a-b : Angiospermae, Dicotyledoneae, Sympetalae (1993-1995) ** vol. 4a-b : Angiospermae, Monocotyledoneae (a 2020, b 2016) ** General index (2020) More over, here are some publications of interest about the japanese flora : Tomitarô Makino, who was lecturer of botany at the imperial university of Tokyo, published a large amount of contributions from 1901 to 1914 collectively called "Observations on the flora of Japan" (and before that some other under various names among which "''Plantæ Japonenses novæ vel minus cognitæ''") * Makino, T., 1901-1905. Observations on the Flora of Japan (Fascicula 1-5) * Makino, T., 1896-1914. Observations on the Flora of Japan. published within the botanical journal (in japanese : 植物学雑誌, romanized : "Shokubutsugaku Zasshi") edited by the Botanical Society of Japan

References

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