Abstract:

The authors revised the classification system for mei cultivars (2007), and a new system (2008) including 11 cultivar groups proposed. A key for classifying the 11 groups is published, and reasons of establishing these groups explained. The revised system is better than the old one in which only 3 cultivar groups included. Both of the two systems are in agreement with the rules of I. C. N. C. P (International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, 2004), but the revised one reserves and expresses more superiorities of “Dual Classification Method” for Chinese traditional flowers. Meanwhile, on the basis of considering dot grottoes on stone surface as key criterion in group classification, it has been found recently that breath/thickness ratio of the stone also important as another key critorion. Moreover, special importance of these two groups both originated from interspecific hybridization, viz. apricot mei group and meiren (blireiana mei) group in acclimatization and development is pointed out.

Key words: mei flower, cultivar group classification, dot grottoes on stone surface, stone breath/thickness ratio