Abstract: Pyrgophyllum (Gagnep.) T. L. Wu et Z. Y. Chen is a monotypic genus of Zingiberaceae from China. Originally, it was placed in Kaempferia as a subgenus by Gagnepain (1901), later transferred to Camptandra by Schumann (1904) and to Caulokaempferia by R. M. Smith. (1972). In this paper, the authors suggest that the separation of Pyrgophyllum at generic rank is justified on cytological, morphological and anatomical evidence. It is characterised by the large lamina-like bracts, which are rarely seen in Zingiberaceae. The margin of each bract is adnate to the main axis of the inflorescence at the base and the lip is lobed. Trichomes unicellular, stomata each with 4-7 lateral subsidiary cells, lateral veins are of three various types of vascular bundles: girder-shaped, semigirder-shaped and isolated. The pollen grains are spinecent. The basic chromosome number (x) is 21. The type species, Pyrgophyllum yunnanensis (Gagnep.) T. L. Wu et Z. Y. Chen (Kaempferia yunnanensis Gagnep.), is only distributed in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China.

Key words: Pyrgophyllum, Pyrophyllum yunnanensis, Caulokaempferia