3. Order of Taxa: [updated 2002]
Flora of China will follow the same sequence of
families as in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae, except that the
monocots will follow the dicots. Pteridophytes will initially be arranged
according to Ching‘s system (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 16(3): 1–19; 16(4):
16–37. 1978), but this will be reviewed by the Pteridophyta Subcommittee before
the final draft is reached. Genera and species will be treated in taxonomic
order*.
*[Added by Nick Turland, 6 Sep 2005:] Most manuscripts
received from China are in the same order as the Chinese account in FRPS. Often
this is simply the order in which the taxa are keyed out. Since the keys in FRPS
are often top-heavy (larger groups of couplets first), they are rearranged to
fit the FOC style (where the key format is mechanical, not reflecting taxonomy,
with larger couplet groups second). In FOC this can result in an apparent
taxonomic order of species which is merely an artefact of the old key format.
Therefore, taxa should be re-arranged to reflect phylogeny, or to simply put
into alphabetical order.