Botanical Illustrated Guide to Hong Kong Native Plants. Volume III: Rare and Endangered Plants. 2026. illus. 312 p. Hardcover.

Due November 2026. Orders will be recorded.

Committed to education and research in basic botany, the Shiu-ying Hu Herbarium documents Hong Kong’s native plants in comprehensive detail through field surveys and plant specimen preparation. Integrating science and art into beautiful line drawings, this book compiles their extensive research findings to share the knowledge of plant taxonomy and botanical illustration with the general public.

Botanical Illustrated Guide to Hong Kong Native Plants (Volume III) continues the tradition of scientific illustration of the previous two volumes, focusing on 20 rare and endangered plants in Hong Kong, including the endemic species of Asarum hongkongense S. M. Hwang & T. P. Wong Siu and 6 species of native orchids. Each plant species is presented with a literature review, voucher plant specimens, detailed line drawings, and annotations.

This illustrated book newly incorporates botanical illustrations in colour and methods for identifying, measuring, and recording plant colours. By employing the RHS Colour Chart and a spectrophotometer to convert plant colours into the closest corresponding RHS colour codes and Hex colour codes, this approach provides a new perspective for plant identification and intends to fill a missing piece in the scientific understanding of native plants in Hong Kong.

With meticulous attention to detail, this third volume not only offers precise morphological descriptions and microscopic imagery of pollen and pollinarium, but also beautifully rendered, colour-accurate floral illustrations calibrated to the standard colour chart with corresponding Hex codes for scientific and artistic reference. The true hues of Hong Kong’s rare and endangered flora are precisely preserved, which definitely enhances both scientific accuracy and public appreciation.