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`This special wraps up a series of efforts made since 1994 to publish special stamps on endangered species and forms of wildlife that are now under government protection, with a view to promoting information on them as part of protection efforts.This time, four plant stamps have been introduced : Jeffersonia dubia (Maxim.) Benth. & Hook., Diapensia lapponica L. var. obovata Fr. Schm., Rhododendron aureum Georgi, and Sedum orbiculatum D. Lee.Wouldn`t it a great idea to herald the coming spring with an aromatic stamp featuring the aroma of an ume tree? Jeffersonia dubia (Maxim.) Benth. & Hook. A rare perennial plant that is found in the mountainous areas of Gangwon, Gyeonggi, North Gyeongsang, and North Chungcheong Provinces in Korea,Jeffersonia dubia is on the brink of extinction because of its popularity as a medicinal herb.Its flowers, two centimeters in diameter, have six to eight petals.They blossom from April to May, just before the leaves begin to sprout. Diapensia lapponica L. var . obovata Fr. Schm A tiny clustered ever-green shrub, it clings to the cliffs near Baeknokdam Lake atop Mt.Halla, on Jeju Island.Its flowers, 1.5 centimeters in diameter with snow-white petals forming a bell shape, blossom from June to July.The round capsule-type berries are 3 millimeters in diameter. Rhododendron aureum Georgi A low-growing, evergreen shrub, it lives in areas near mountains at high elevations or at the foot of high mountains located in the northern regions of Korea, including Mt. Seorak in Gangwon Province.Its large leaves remain buried in the snow for nine months a year, while still maintaining their vitality.The light-yellow flowers blossom around June and July during the rather short seasonal thaw.The stem of the plant clings to the ground surface as it grows, so as to avoid exposure to wind and weather.The 2 centimeter capsule-type berries ripen in September. Sedum orbiculatum D. Lee One of Koreas rare and unique indigenous perennial plants, it lives in the area around waterfalls between the wet rocks in the valleys of Mt. Juwang. Its dark reddish-purple flowers with five pear-shaped petals that cling to the end of the stems, blossom from July to September.`