Due to the peninsula's long north-south stretch and topographic
complexity, there are wide variations in floral distribution. Recent floristic
studies of Korea (Lee, C. B. 1976, Illustrated Flora of Korea and Lee, W. T.
1996, Lineamenta Florae Korea) listed approximately 190 families, 1,079 genera,
3,130 species, 630 varieties, and 310 forms of vascular plants. This means that
more than 4,000 kinds of vascular plants, including about 570 endemics, are
currently growing in the country. By comparison, there are about 1,500 species
in Denmark and about 2,000 species in England. Many plants in the northern Korea
have elements in common with those growing in Manchuria. While many alpine plants
are found in the north and high mountain areas, the central part and the western
lowlands have the predominantly broad-leaved deciduous vegetation. The southern
coast and the offshore islands of Jejudo and Ulleungdo are regions where warm-temperate
plants grow abundantly. Many evergreen plants growing in the southern parts
are identical or similar to those found in the southwestern part of Japan.
Warm-Temperate Vegetation
Because of the high average annual temperature (14
oC) prevailing
over the southern part of the peninsula and the offshore islands -
Jejudo,
Soheuksando and
Ulleung-do - umerous plant species grow in those areas.
On the shorelines of Jejudo island, more than 70 species of broad-leaved evergreens
grow. These include
Camellia japonica L.,
Cinnamomun camphora
Siebold,
Ardisia pusilla DC.,
Quercus myrsinaefolia Blume,
Ligustrum
japonicum Thunb.,
Korthalsella japonica (Thunb.) Engl.,
Rhaphiolepis
umbellata (Thunb.) Makino,
Neolistsea sericea (Blume) Koidz.,
Actinodaphne
lancifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Meisn.,
Euonymus japonicus Thunb. Euonymus
fortunei (Turcz.) Hand. - Mazz.,
Trachelospermum asiaticum (Siebold et
Zucc.) Nakai,
Ficus thunbergii Maxim.,
Machilus japonica Sieb.
et Zucc.,
Daphniphyllum tejismanni Zoll.,
Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.)
Aiton,
Citrus unshiu Markovich, ect. Also found are such herbal plants
as
Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam.,
Pollia japonica Thunb.,
Crinum
asiaticum L. var.
japonicum Baker, and such broad-leaved deciduous
trees and shrubs as
Celtis sinensis Pers., and
Elaeagnus macrophylla
Thunb.
The southeast slope of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo island is more abundant in warm-temperate
vegetation than the northern side of the mountain. Such vegetation gradually
diminishes as the contour line of temperature moves northward to the southern
shore of the peninsula via Geomundo, Soheuksando and other islands. Near Busan
and Mokpo, the number of natural broad-leaved evergreens is limited to fewer
than 20 species. These areas are also the northernmost limits for
Farfugium
japonicum (L.) Kitamura.
Ulleungdo island, located at 37
o30'N parallels, has many plants of
the warm temperate zone, including
Daphniphyllum macropodium Miq.,
Camellia
japonica L.,
Litsea japonica (Thunb.) Juss.,
Ilex integra
Thunb.,
Aucuba japonica Thunb.,
Neolitsea sericea (Blume) Koidz.
and
Elaeagnus macrophylla Thunb. Because of the high contour of the temperate
zone,
Camellia japonica L. is distributed as far north as Daecheongdo
island, off Hwanghae-do province. This distribution is caused by seed dispersal
through ocean currents.
Temperate Vegetation
The Korean Peninsula, except for the high terrains of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo
island and the Taebaek mountain ranges, has a typical temperate zone climate.
It abounds in the type of vegetation natural to the temperate zone, such as
Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. and other deciduous broad-leaved trees.
Typical deciduous broad-leaved trees found in Korea are:
Quercus aliena
Blume,
Quercus acutissima Carruth.,
Quercus serrata Thunb.,
Carpinus
laxiflora (Siebold et Zucc.) Blume,
Betula platyphylla Sukaczev var.
japonica (Miq.) Hara,
Carpinus tschonoskii Maxim.,
Fraxinus
rhynchophylla Hance,
Salix gracilistyla Miq.,
Tilia amurensis
Rupr.,
Styrax japonica Sieb. et Zucc.,
Forsythia koreana (Rehder)
Nakai,
Lespedeza biclor Turcz.,
Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz.,
Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim. and
Acer palmatum Thunb. Herbaceous
plants in this zone include
Miscanthus sinensis Andersson,
Miscanthus
sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Benth.,
Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth,
Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herbich,
Hylomecon vernalis Maxim.,
Primula
sieboldii E. Morren,
Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.,
Adenophora
triphylla (Thunb.) A. DC.,
Codonopsis lanceolata (Sieb. et Zucc.)
Trautv.,
Melanpyrum reseum Maxim.,
Elsholztia splendens Nakai
and
Gentiana pseudoaquatica Kusn.
Among the endemic species of plants, thriving in Korea are
Abeliophyllum
distichum Nakai,
Hylomecon hylomeconoides Nakai, and
Aconitum
chiisanense Nakai.
Cold-Temperate Vegetation
Cold temperate plants grow in the northern part of Korea and in the mountains,
such as Mt. Seoraksan (above 1,000m), Mt. Jirisan (above 1,300m) and Mt. Hallasan
(above 1,500m), where the mean annual temperature hovers around 5
oC.
Typically inhabiting these locations are such needle-leaved trees as
Abies
nephrolepis Maxim.,
Larix olegensis A. Henry var.
koreana
Nakai,
Thuja koraiensis Nakai,
Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.)
Carriere,
Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel,
Juniperus chinensis L. var.
sargentii A. Henry,
Picea koraiensis Nakai,
Abies koreana
Wilson,
Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. and broad-leaved deciduous trees
as
Quercus mongolica Fisch.,
Quercus dentata Thunb.,
Chosenia
bracteosa Nakai,
Betula platyphylla Sukaczev var.
japonica
(Miq.) Hara,
Betula ermanii Cham.,
Betula costata Trautv.,
Salix
myrtilloides L.,
Vaccinium uliginosum L., and
Syringa dilatata
Nakai.
As for endemic plants, there is a predominant growth of
Echinosophora koreensis
Nakai in Hamgyeongbuk-do province and near Yanggu, Gangwon-do province. Myeongcheon-gun,
in Hamgyeongbuk-do province, is the native habitat of
Sasa coreana Nakai
and forms the northern limit for bamboo. The endemic herbaceous plant is
Hanabusaya
asiatica Nakai, which grows in the northern part of the country.
Rheum
coreanum Nakai is found on the Bujeon Plateau, on the Jangbaeksan range,
Hamgyeongnam-do province.
There are many kinds of plants common to Korea and Manchuria. Typical of these
include:
Astilboides tabularis (Hemsl.) Engl.,
Acerphyllum rossii
(Oliv.) Engl. and
Jeffersonia dubia (Maxim.) Benth. & Hook. f.
Pinus
pumila (Pall.) Regel. These plants grow abundantly in the northern mountains
as well as on Mt. Seoraksan.
Thuja koraiensis Nakai, which grows in the
northern mountains, can be found on the higher part of the Taebaek mountains.
Vaccinium ulginosum L., grows on the summits of Mt. Seoraksan and Mt.
Hallasan. This is regarded as a relic species, its present location resulting
from the climatic changes which presumably occurred during the Tertiary Period.
Empetrum nigrum L. var. japonicum K. Koch grows in the southern end of
Mt. Hallasan.
Diapensia lapponica L. var.
obovata F. Schmidt is
found on Mt. Hallasan and in Japan. Their distribution may suggest that the
Korean Peninsula, Jejudo island, and the Japanese archipelago were once a connected
landmass.
Major flora in the cold-temperate climate of the northern forest areas include
Larix olgensis A. Henry var. koreana Nakai,
Picea jezoensis (Siebold
et Zucc.) Carriere,
Abies nephrolepis Maxim.,
Pinus koraiensis
Sieb. et Zucc.,
Picea koraiensis Nakai, and
Abies holophylla Maxim.
The important needle-leaved trees growing on Mt. Geumgangsan include
Pinus
koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.,
Abies holophylla Maxim.,
Picea jezoensis
(Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere,
Larix olgensis A. Henry var.
koreana
Nakai, and
Thuja koraiensis Nakai. The predominant species growing on
Mt. Jirisan are
Juniperus chinensis L. var.
sargentii A. Henry,
Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.,
Abies holophylla Maxim.,
Abies
koreana E. H. Wilson, and
Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere.
Near the summit of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo island grow
Abies koreana E.
H. Wilson and
Juniperus chinensis L. var. s A. Henry.
Flowering Periods
July is the season when flowering reaches its peak. Although summer is the peak
of the flowering season, there are quite a few species that also bloom during
the spring and autumn seasons. Woody plants, for example, tend to have their
flowering peaks in May.
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Leontopodium coreanum,
Somdari, a Korean edelweiss |
Convallaria keiskei,
Eunbangulkkot, a beautiful small herbs on the mountain slopes |
Aerides japonicum,
Nadopungnan, a kind of fragrant orchid |
Hanabusaya asiatica,
Geumgang-chorong, one of endemic vascular plants to Korea |
Flowers blooming in spring include:
Forsythia koreana Nakai,
Rhododendron
mucronulatum Turcz.,
Lonicera praeflorens Batalin,
Fraxinus rhynchophylla
Hance,
Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai,
Prunus armeniaca L. var.
ansu Komarov,
Prunus yedoensis Matsum.,
Magnolia kobus
DC.,
Sorbus alnifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) K. Koch,
Ginkgo biloba
L.,
Iris rossii Baker,
Pulsatilla koreana (Y. Yabe) Nakai,
Erythronium
japonicum Decne.,
Berberis amurensis Rupr.,
Cornus officinalis
Sieb. et Zucc.,
Hylomecon vernalis Maxim., and
Viola mandshurica
W. Becker.
Plants blooming in summer comprise:
Paeonia japonica (Makino) Miyabe
et Takeda,
Paeonia lactiflora Pall.,
Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews,
Iris ensata Thunb. var.
spontanea (Makino) Nakai, Rosa
rugosa
Thunb., Sorbus commixta Hedl.,
Magnolia sieboldii K. Koch,
Maianthemum
dilatatum (Wood) Nelson et Macbr.,
Lilium concolar Salisb.,
Lilium
distichum Nakai,
Lilium hansonii Leitchtlin,
Morus alba L.,
Chenopodium album L. var.
centrorubrum Makino,
Syringa wolfii
C. K. Schneid.,
Dianthus chinensis L.,
Rosa multiflora Thunb.,
Hypericum ascyron L.,
Cirsium japonicum DC. var.
ussurinese
(Regel) Kitam.,
Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.,
Phytolacca
insularis Nakai,
Hanabusaya asiatica Nakai, and Anemone narcissiflora.
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Hibiscus syriacus,
Mugunghwa, the national flower of Korea |
Camellia japonica,
Dongbaek, a common evergreen tree in the southern part of Korean
peninsula |
Nelumbo nucifera,
lotus, a commonly planted herbs in pond areas |
Adonis amurensis,
Boksucho, an early spring flower |
Plants which bloom in autumn include
Miscanthus sinensis Anderson,
Miscanthus
sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Benth.,
Sedum aizoon L.,
Gentiana scabra
Bunge,
Elscholtzia splendens Nakai,
Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch.,
Aster incisus Fisch.,
Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herbich, and
Aster
koraiensis Nakai.
During the winter season,
Camellia japonica L. can be seen blooming on
Jejudo, the Heuksando islands as well as the southern coast.