Cover Figure

(Photography by Guo ZJ; Text by Wang XM, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China)

Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr.

Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr. is a perennial herb of the family Euphorbiaceae. This species is distributed throughout China except Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang and Yunnan. The roots of E. pekinensis, a common traditional Chinese medicine, have been used to remedy oedema, gonorrhea, migraine and wart cures. The plant contains diterpenoids, triterpenoids and steroids including euphpekinensin, pekinenal, euphol and so on. But E. pekinensis is the most variable species in China, especially on indumentum, and requires much more extensive study.