Abstract: The present paper deals with a comparative karyotypic study of three species in Fritillaria-F. thuncergii Miq., F. anhuiensis S. . Chen et S. F. Yin and F. hupehensis Hsiao et K. C. Hsia. The karyotype of F. anhuiensis S. C. Chen et S. F. Yin is first reported. The karyotypes of the three species of Fritillaria are rather similar, all with K(2n)=24= 2m+2sm+12t+4st+4m (SAT), showing a close interspecific relationship. They all have two pairs of st chromosomes, one of which is the third chromosome in all the three species studied, but the other is the seventh in F. thunbergii Miq, the eighth in F. anhuiensis S. C. Chen et S. F. Yin, and the fifth in F. hupehensis Hsiao et K. C. Hsia. It tells us that there are some differences in their karyotypes. All of the three species possess two pairs of satellite chromosomes with the satellites located on the long arms. A heterochromatic zone is found sometimes on long arms of No. IX chromosome in each species of Fritillaria and on one of No. I chromosomes in both F. thunbergii Miq. and F. anhuiensis S. C. Chen et S. F. Yin, a chromosome polymorphism occurring between populations of Fritillaria. In addition, three B chromosomes are always found in most root-tip cells of F. hupehensis Hsiao et K. C. Hsiao.

Key words: Fritillaria, F.thunbergii Miq, F.anhuiensis S.C.Chen et S.F.Yin, F.hupehensis Hsiao et K.C.Hsia, Karyotype, B chromosome.