A total of 1,042 varieties of exotic plants have been found in Shenzhen, more than any other city in China.
   
The Fairy Lake Botanic Garden was honored as a national model in botanical protection Monday, while experts called for attention to be paid to preventing foreign plants from damaging the ecology, the Daily Sunshine reported.
   
There are more than 1,000 varieties of plants in the garden, which has acquired some fame worldwide.
   
A botanical seminar held in Shenzhen was told 1,461 varieties of plants had been found in Shenzhen, 20 of them protected species on the brink of extinction.
   
However, scientists said some foreign plants could destroy the ecological balance in forestry eco-systems, take over local plants, restrict the growth of other plants by excreting chemicals and harm the variety and integrity of forests.
   
The seminar on botanical protection, held from Monday to Thursday, attracted experts from China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), Australia and the United States, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.
   
Shenzhen had made great strides in protecting botanical varieties, the seminar was told.

(Shenzhen Daily November 17, 2004)