This is the largest single volume of the Flora of China, with 2,024 species described in 22 families. Among these, the Acanthaceae include the large genus Strobilanthes (128 species); the Adoxaceae include the horticulturally important genus Viburnum; the Berberidaceae include the popular garden plants Epimedium as well as Berberis (barberry) and Mahonia; the Campanulaceae (bellflower family) include Campanula, Codonopsis, Cyananthus, and Lobelia; the Caprifoliaceae include Lonicera (honeysuckle) and Leycesteria (Himalayan honeysuckle); the Cucurbitaceae include various cultivated fruits and vegetables as well as many native species; the Lentibulariaceae include the carnivorous Pinguicula (butterwort) and Utricularia (bladderwort); finally, the Rubiaceae is the largest family in this volume, with 701 species, including species-rich genera such as Galium (bedstraw), Hedyotis, and Ophiorrhiza, as well as the Chinese endemic ornamental tree Emmenopterys henryi.

The Chinese flora, with an estimated 31,500 species, is of immense scientific and horticultural importance. Noteworthy, too, is Chinese traditional medicine, which is based on the remarkable plant resources of the country. Descriptions and identification keys for this diverse flora, until now unavailable in English, have been published in the Flora of China, in conjunction with a separate series, the Flora of China Illustrations.