Dr. SHUI Yumin from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences(KIB/CAS) received the Rudolf Ziesenhenne Award (Fig. 1) in 2025 from the American Begonia Society. 

This prestigious award honors scholars for their outstanding contributions to promoting public awareness and appreciation of begonias through research, editing, and publication. Dr. Shui's work primarily focuses on the taxonomy, biodiversity, ecology, and conservation of tropical plants, especially the genus Begonia. He has published influential monographs: Begonia of China, and Taxonomy of Begonias (Fig. 2) and many new taxa, contributing significantly to the field.

The American Begonia Society, established in 1932, is a leading international organization dedicated to begonia conservation, education, and research, with over 1,100 members worldwide. Dr. Shui is renowned for his expertise and ongoing research, including his participation in the 2026 ABS Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

For more information about the award, visit: ABS National Awards: https://www.begonias.org/about-us/national-awards/.

Fig. 1 American Begonia Society's Rudolf Ziesenhenne Science Communication Award in 2025 (Image by KIB)

Fig. 2 Two of the books edited by Yu-Min Shui et al. (Image by KIB)

Contact:

YANG Mei
General Office
Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS

email: yangmei@mail.kib.ac.cn

(Editor: YANG Mei)