Abstract: Discussed in the present paper are evolutionary trends of important morphological characters of Deutzia, systematic position of several closely related genera, geographical distribution and characteristics of floristic elements. Finally the classificatory revison of the genus is made and a key to species is given. As a result, evolutionary trends of the important morphological characters in Deutzia are suggested; petals from imbricate to valvate, stamens from indefinite to definite, filaments from edentate to dentate, ovary from half-inferior to inferior. Therefore, the section Neodeutzia with valvate corolla and infinite stamens with edentate filaments should be included in this genus. The sections Neodeutzia and Mesodeutizia seem to be better considered as primitive taxa, while the section Deutzia advanced one. There are 52 species of Deutzia in China , which are grouped into two sections ( Sect. Mesodeutzia, Sect. Deutzia), four subsections (Subsect. Deutzia, Subsect. Grandiflorae, Subsect. Stenosepalae, Subsect. Cymosae)and 17 series. Sixty- five species are so far recognised in the genus Deutzia. They are mainly distributed in E. Asia and disjunctively in N. America. China is therefore an area the richest in species of Deutzia in the world, making up 80% of the total species of this genus. The greatest concentration area is in Sichuan (23 species), Yunnan (21 species), Hubei (12 species) and Shanxi (10 species), this is boundary area between Sino-Himalayan subregion and Sino-Japanese subregion, where occur abundant species (including 39 endemic species) and diverse taxa (2 section and 4 subsection). Based on these facts it is proposed that the present center of distribution and differentiation of Deutzia be in the southern part of the Hengduan Mountains, the Qingling Range and C. China.

Key words: Deutzia, Systematics, Geographical distribution