Abstract: Hemerocallis dumortierii, H. esculenta and H. middendorfii were considered to belong to a biological complex, and were treated as different varieties of the same species, H. dumortierii. The present authors observed and compared the karyotypes of H. esculenta and H. middendorfii. Two plant samples for each of the species were studied. One sample of H. esculenta was from Wuán County, Hebei Province, at an altitute of 1000 m, the other from Shennongjia, Hubei Province, altitute 2100 m. The two samples of H. middendorfii were respectively from Antu County, at an altitute of 700 m, and Tonghua, altitute 500 m, in Jilin Province. The karyotypes are 2n＝2x=22=12m+8sm+2T for H. esculenta, while 2n＝2x＝22=10m+6sm+4st+2T for H. middendorfii. The karyotypical difference between the two taxa was obviously not intraspecific but interspecific. Based on the karyotype data as well as the morphological and phytogeographical data available, it is considered that H. esculenta and H. middendorfii should be recognized as different species, instead of different varieties of the same species as in literature, and that H. mid-dendorfii is more advanced than H. esculenta.

Key words: Hemerocallis esculenta, H．middendorfii, Karyotype