This
genus has over 60 species of flowering
plants native to
Eastern China and Korea. There is some disagreement about the
proper family with some
taxonomists listing
it in
Tiliaceae while others say it should
be in the Mallow (Malvaceae)
Family of plants. It was given its name by
Carolus Linnaeus to honor English plant
anatomist Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712).