Abstract: A numerical taxonomic study of the distribution patterns of the total 72 species of Chinese Viburnum using association-analysis method is presented to add some information for the regionalization of the Chinese flora. The fact that the center of genetic diversity of Chinese Viburnum is in the south central part rather than in the southern or southwestern part of China suggests strongly the subtropical nature of the genus under study. Southwestern Sichuan is the most concentrated region of western endemic species. Inspite of the topographical complexity of the Hengduan Mountain Ranges, only a few Viburnum species occur in this region. The species in Taiwan are largely of subtropical nature and are mostly identical with those on the mainland. Their distribution patterns show that the island is floristically more closely related to the mainland of China or even to Japan than to the Malaysian region. As a whole, the general conclusions reached here correspond with those of C. Y. Wu for the Chinese spermatophytic flora, yet differ in certain respects of minor significance. Attempts have also been made to relate the distribution patterns of species with physiographic, climatic and vegetational conditions in our discussion.

Key words: China, Viburnum, distribution Pattern, Numerical Analysis