Abstract: Comparative studies of karyotypes in Hemerocallis from China have been carried out using numerical techniques. Taxa studied are as follows: Hemerocallis citrina, H. dumortieri , H. esculenta , H. forrestii , di- and triploid H. fulva , H. lilioasphodelus , H. middendorffii, H. minor, H. multiflora and H. plicata. The results show that variation in speciation has taken place at chromosomal level, and that karyotype variations have largely paralleled the morphological ones. Taxonomic proposals are given to treat H. citrina and H. minor as subspecies of H. lilioasphodelus, and H. esculenta as a variety of H. dumortieri. The results are not in favour of considering H. middendorffii as a variety ofH. dumortieri, and H. multiflora closely related to H. plicata.

Key words: Hemerocallis, Karyotype, Numerical cytotaxonomy, China