Abstract: Eleutherococcus senticosus has two reproduction modes: vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. In this paper, flower number per inflorescence, seed set and plump seed ratio,some aspects of rhizome morphology and morphogenesis of three morphs with different filament lengths are reported, and the breeding system is studied by hand-pollination. It is clear from the two tables presented in the present paper that plants with long filaments cannot fruit, plants with short filaments can fruit annually, but their seed setting ratio is different in different years and different habitats, plants with medium-long filaments can also fruit but their plump seed ratio may be low. In ordinary years, the seed setting ratio of plants with short filament reaches 40% and plants at the edge of forests have slightly higher seed setting ratio than those on cleared area and those in natural secondary forests. Considering the existence of only a few populations with medium-long filaments in the area studied,we conclude that most of seeds in Eleutherococcus senticosus should be the products of cross pollination;and with the coexistence of vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction, the species of Eleutherococcus senticosus should not be endangered,if not destructed by human beings.

Key words: Eleutherococcus senticosus, Vegetative propagation, Sexual reproduction, Breeding system, Seed setting ratio, Plump seed ratio