Abstract: Karyotypes of seven species, one variety and 11 forms of Sect. Thea occurring in Guizhou Province, were investigated by the wall degradation hypotonic method. The micrographs of their somatic metaphase are shown in plates 1-2 and the parameters of chromosomes according to Li and Chen (1985) are given in Table 1 and the idiograms in Fig. 1. The karyotype formulae are as follows: Camellia quinquelocularis 22=30=24m+6sm; C. tetracocca 2n=30=22m+8sm; C. taliensis 2n=30=22m+8sm; C. gymnogyna 2n=30=22m +6sm+2st and 2n=30=20m=8sm+2st; C. gymnogynoides 2n=30=22m +6sm+2st and 2n=30=20m+8sm+2st; C. jungkiangensis 2n=30=20m+8sm+2st; C. sinensis 2n =30+20m+8sm+2st, and C. sinensis var. ruoella 2n=30=20m+8sm+2st. All the karyotypes belong to Stebbins “2A”. The following main aspects are discussed. 1. Chromosome numbers: All these species are found to have 2n=30. Based on the previous and present reports, It clearly indicates that evolution of this group has taken place mainly on diploid level, but not on polyploid one. 2. The karyotype variation: Generally, all the karyotypes examined are similar, but according to symmetry of karyotype, they may be grouped into two types. One is characterized by metacentric (m)and submetacentric (sm)chromosomes, involving C. quinquelochlaris, C. tetracocca, C. taliensis, while the other is characterized by a pair of subtelocentric (st) chromosome besides m and sm chromosomes, involving C. gymnogyna, C. gymnogynoides, C. jungkiangensis, C. sinensis and C. sinensis var. ruoella. It is suggested that the mechanism for karyotype variation and speciation in Sect. Thea be pericentric inversion or reciprocal translocation. The first type is more symmetrical than the second one, and is thus relatively primitive. 3. The orginal center of Sect. Thea: Based on the analysis of karyotypes, morphological characters, geographical distribution and biochemical features, the authors consider that the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau including the contiguous area in Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou is the original center, from where it radiated, resulting in the present distribution pattern of Sect. Thea.4. Taxonomic treatment of Sect. Thea: The taxonomic treatment of Sect. Thea is complicated and still confused up to now. The number of species is more than 40 according to Zhang’s taxonomic system (1984), but, recently, most of them are reduced by Min (1992). Further work should be based on the concept of morphological discontinuity and in formation from other branches of sciences. Whether two types of karyotype are two biological species remains questionable.

Key words: Karyotype, Evolution, Sect. Thea, Guizhou