Abstract: The geographical distribution of Liliaceae (s. str. ) is analysed on the basis of the floristic regions proposed by Takhtajan. Some conclusions may be proposed as follows: 1.Liliaceae (s. str. ) consists of nine genera and about 513 species, distributed primarily in the north temperate zone. Statistics shows clearly that the Irano-Turanian Region is most abundant in number of species, The Eastern Asian Region with total nine genera of the family is the diversity centre of Liliaceae (s. str. ). 2. The distribution patterns of the genera may be divided into: 1 ) North temperate distribution pattern: Lloydia, Erythronium, Fritillaria and Lilium; 2) Old world temperate distribution pattern: Gagea and Tulipa; 3) West Asia to Himalayas and Southwest China distribution pattern: Notholirion; 4) East Asia distribution pattern: Cardiocrinum and Nomocharis. 3. The Sino-Himalayas is one of the key regions in studying the evolution of Liliaceae (s. str. ) All nine genera occur in the Eastern Asian Region with most species distributed in Southwest and Northwest China. Chorologically, five genera (Fritillaria, Lilium, Cardiocrinum, Nomocharis and Notholirion) of the Lilieae are overlapped each other in the Sino-Himalayas, showing its diversity centre in this region. The Lilieae is a main stock in the Liliaceae (s. str. ), The genus Nomocharis in this tribe may have been newly differentiated from Lilium in the course of the uplift of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, a view also supported by Xie Xiao-yang et al.. The place of its origin was considered to be in the southern part of the Hengduan Mountains. 4. The distributions of some species in Liliaceae (s. str. ) seem to be significant for dividing some floristic regions: 1 ) Some species of Fritillaria (F. unibracteata Hsiao et K. C. Hsia, F. przewalski Maxim. ex Batal. , F. crassicaulis S. C. Chen, F. cirrhosa D. Don. , F. delavayi Franch. , F. dajinensis S. C. Chen, F. davidii Franch. , F. sinica S. C. Chen and F. sichuanica S. C.Chen) are only distributed in Sino-Himalayan forest subkingdom, while others (F. taiparensis P. Y. Li, F. yuzhongensis S. C. Chen, F. monantha Migo, F. anhuiensis S. C. Chen et S. F. Yin, F. thunbergii Miq. , F. maximowizii Freyn and F. ussuriensis Maxim. ) are restricted to Sino-Japan forest subkingdom. They show a clearly demarcation line between the two subkingdoms, which is identical with what proposed by Wu Cheng-yih. 2) The Eastern Asian Region can be divided into two subkingdoms on the basis of the distribution pattern of the genus Cardiocrinum; C. giganteum (Wall.) Makino and C. gigateum var. yunnanense Leichtlin ex Elwes are restricted to Sino-Himalayan forest subkingdom. C. cathayanum (Wilson) Stearn and C. cordatum (Thunb.) Makino are only found in Sino-Japan forest subkingdom. 3) The distributions of Gagea pauciflora Turcz. , G. triflora(Ledeb.) Roem. et Schult. G. hiensis Pasch, Lloydia tibetica Baker ex Oliver, L. oxycarpa Franch. and L. flavonutans Hara are indicative of a demarcation line between Irano-Turanica Region and Eastern Asian Region. 5. The genus Notholirion occurs in the Eastern Asian Region and Irano-Turanian Region, showing the relationships between the two regions and also between the Chinese flora and Ancient Mediterraneam flora.

Key words: Liliaceae (s. str. ), Chorology, Chinese flora