Many photos and specimens of Hololeion maximowiczii, another monotypic genus, were actually cases of misidentification, Chen said. He and his team tried to find the plant in Northeast China for many years, but failed.

Then a few photos of the plant taken in Shandong province appeared on Plant Photo Bank of China, a plant image website. "We immediately contacted the photographer, got the location, and then sent one of our team members to capture new photos," Chen said.

At the launch event, notable experts, such as Jin Xiaohua from the Institute of Botany, CAS, Liu Quanru from Beijing Normal University and Dai Silan from Beijing Forestry University, highly acknowledged the value of the atlas, considering it a new benchmark for research on Compositae. They also expressed their hope for more masterpieces like this book in the field of plant taxonomy.

Qiao Hui, president of the Henan Science and Technology Press, said the publication of the Atlas of Compositae Plants in China provides an authoritative tool for accurately identifying China's native Compositae plants. It also offers strong scientific support for building a national biological resource database, aiding agricultural and forestry development, exploring medicinal plant resources, and supporting ecological restoration efforts, he said.

"The publication of this atlas is not an end-point but a new beginning. We will continue to uphold the spirit of perseverance and hard work of our predecessors, further advancing the research on the Compositae family," Wang Long said. "We hope this book becomes a window for experts, scholars and plant enthusiasts to understand, learn about and appreciate China's Compositae plants, as well as a bridge and key to recognizing the diversity of plants in China and even the world."

chenliang@chinadaily.com.cn