山茶科植物是環太平洋地區闊葉森林的重要科類群，在生態、經濟與保育方面皆具有重要價值。歷來對台灣產原生山茶科植物的系統分類研究不多，且材料多無納入鄰近區域之近緣類群，因而導致本科分類仍有相當大的探討空間。然而，清楚的物種分類成果，是人類利用生物的最基礎工作。因此，本計畫的目標，即在釐清台灣原生山茶科的分類問題，以做為其它相關研究與應用的根基。本研究擬以三年的時程，來探討該群之分類問題。第一年，進行山茶屬之分類學研究，第二年，進行柃木屬之分類學研究，第三年，進行其餘7 屬之分類學研究，並將三年之研究結果，撰寫成台灣山茶科之生物誌。在研究方法上，擬藉由經典分類學的標本與文獻查閱，以及特徵比較來進行。對形態不易區分的近緣類群，則輔以測量標本特徵，進行數值分類分析來探討。為更全面了解鄰近區域的近緣種群，本研究希望能參訪中國與日本的數個重要標本館。
Theaceae is a family of plants distributed around the Pacific Ocean. In ecology, economy and biological conservation of Taiwan, Theaceae plants play an important role. For the insufficiency of taxonomic studies, there are still problems for the taxonomy of Taiwanese Theaceae plants. However, the clear taxonomic results are essential for the biological applications. The aim of this study is to clarify the taxonomy of Taiwanese Theaceae plants. This study is planned to be executed in three years. The taxonomy of genus Camellia and Eurya will be studied in the first and second years. In the last year, the taxonomy of the remaining seven genera will be explored. Also, a flora of Taiwanese Theaceae will be published according the taxonomic results. The study methods of classic taxonomy, which is involved in the examinations of specimens and articles, will be used for determining the taxa. For taxa which morphology is not easily to be distinguished, the methods of numerical taxonomy will be adopted. Meanwhile, I plan to visit several main herbaria in China and Japan, for examining and measuring the specimens of related taxa.
