Abstract: This paper deals with the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus Chrysosplenium L. in China. Based on the characters and evolution of the seed, capsule, disk, ovary and leaf, the species of this genus can be grouped into 2 subgenera, 5 sections and 16 series. There are 2 subgenera, 5 sections and 11 series in China. They are as follows: I. Subgen. Gamosplenium Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Leaves alternate. Lectotype: Chrysosplenium carnosum Hook. f. et Thoms. 1. Sect. Alternifolia Franch. emend. J. T. Pan Seeds smooth and glabrous. Type: Chrysosplenium alternifolium L. (1) Ser. Nudicaulia Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk obscure or absent; ovary nearly half-inferior, sometimes mostly inferior; capsule generally subtruncate and emarginate at top and bilobed with equal and horizontally divaricate or suberect lobes; seeds smooth and glabrous. Type: Chrysosplenium nudicaule Maxim. (2) Ser. Alternifolia Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk 8-lobed; ovary nearly half-inferior; capsule generally subtruncate and emarginate at top, and bilobed with equal and horizontally divaricate lobes; seeds smooth and glabrous. Type: Chrysosplenium alternifolia L. 2. Sect. Nephrophylloides Turcz. Seeds minutely papillose or pilose. Type: Chrysosplenium sedakowii Turcz. (1) Ser. Macrophylla Franch. emend. J. T. Pan Disk obscure or absent; ovary nearly half-inferior; capsule nearly truncate and emarginate at top, and bilobed with equal lobes; seeds minutely papillose. Type: Chrysosplenium macrophyllum Oliv. (2) Ser. Ovalifolia Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk generally 8-, rarely 4-, lobed, papillae absent around disk; ovary mostly inferior; capsule subtruncate and emarginate at top; seeds minutely papillose or pilose. Type: Chrysosplenium ovalifolium M. Bieb. ex Bunge (3) Ser. Lanuginosa Hara, emend. J. T. Pan Papillae numerous, brown around reduced disk; ovary mostly inferior; capsule nearly truncate and emarginate at top; seeds minutely papillose. Type: Chrysosplenium lanuginosum Hook. f. et Thoms. II. Subgen. Chrysosplenium Leaves opposite. Type: Chrysosplenium oppositifolium L. 1. Sect. Trichosperma J. T. Pan, sect. nov. Capsule not truncate at top, and bilobed with subequal, suberect or divergent lobes. Type: Chrysosplenium trichospermum Edgew. ex Hook. f. et Thoms. This section is divided into 4 series in the world, with only 1 in China. (1) Ser. Nepalensia Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk obscure or absent; ovary generally mostly inferior; cassule not truncate at top, and bilobed with subequal and suberect or divergent lobes; seeds smooth and glabrous. Type: Chrysosplenium nepalense D. Don 2. Sect. Grayana J. T. Pan, sect. nov. Capsule bilobed with distinctly unequal and ascending lobes. Type: Chrysosplenium grayanum Maxim. This section consists of 4 series in the world, with 3 series in China. (1) Ser. Sinica Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk obscure or absent; ovary nearly half-superior; capsule bilobed with distinctly unequal and ascending lobes; seeds minutely papillose. Type: Chrysosplenium sinicum Maxim. (2) Ser. Esulcata Franch. emend. J. T. Pan Disk (4)-8-lobed; ovary generally half-inferior; capsule bilobed with unequal and ascending lobes; seeds minutely papillose or pilose. Lectotype: Chrysosplenium dubium J. Gayex DC. (3) Ser. pilosa maxim. emend. J. T. Pan Disk obscure or absent; ovary nearly half-inferior; capsule bilobed with distinctly unequal and ascending lobes; seeds distinctly longitudinally ll-18-costate and minutely papillose or tuberculate on the ridge. Type: Chrysosplenium pilosum Maxim. 3. Sect. Chrysosplenium Capsule nearly truncate and emarginate at top, and bilobed with equal and horizontally divaricate lobes. Type: Chrysosplenium oppositifolium L. (1) Ser. Romosa J. T. Pan, ser. nov. Disk distinctly 8-lobed, papillae sparse, brown around disk; ovary mostly inferior; capsule nearly truncate and emarginate at top, and bilobed with equal and horizontally divaricate lobes; seeds smooth and glabrous. Type: Chrysosplenium ramosum Maxim. This series is monospecific one, also occurring in China, namely C. ramosum Maxim. (2) Ser. Delavayi Hara Disk distinctly 8-lobed, Papillae sparse, brown around the disk; ovary mostly inferior; capsule nearly truncate and emarginate at top, and bilobed with equal and horizontally divaricate lobes; seeds distinctly longitudinally 10-16-costate and transversely striate on the ridge. Type: Chrysosplenium delavayi Franch. This series can be considered as the most advanced one in the Chrysaspleninm L. So far, the Chrysosplenium L. comprises 64 species in the world, among which 1 species is found in North Africa, 2 in South America, 4 in Europe, 5 in North America, 56 in Asia, of which 3 occur in Sikkim, 5 Bhutan, 5 Mongolia, 6 north Burma, 6 Korea, 7 north India, 8 Nepal, 12 Japan, 17 U.S.S.R. (of which 3 also in Europe), 34 China (including 22 endemic species and 3 new species). In China, Fujian and Guangdong Provinces and Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi each has only 1 species, Taiwan, Zhejiang, Shanxi and Hebei Provinces and Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang each has 2, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan Provinces each has 3, Qinghai Province 4, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Guizhou Provinces each has 5, Jilin and Hubei Provinces each has 6, Gausu Province 8, Shaanxi Province and Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region each has 10, Yunnan Province has 11, Sichuan Province has 14. Thus the distribution centre of this genus should be in the north temperate zone of Asia, and the region covering Shaanxi Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan and Xizang may be regarded as an important part of this centre. The 7 species of Ser. Nudicaula Maxim. emend. J. T. Pan can be considered as the most primitive ones in this genus. They are mostly distributed in Shaanxi (Qin Ling), south Gansu, southeast Qinghai, southwest Sichuan and nothwest Yunnan of China. This region may be considered as the centre of the origin (or at least differentiation) of this genus. The new species and the new varieties described in this paper are as follows: C. hydrocotylifolium Levl. et Vant. var. emeiense J. T. Pan, C. taibaishanense J. T. Pan, C. lixianense Jien ex J. T. Pan, C. qinlingense Jien ex J. T. Pan.

Key words: Chrysosplenium L., Taxonomy, New species, Distribution, Origin