The genus Calligonum L. includes a total number of 35 species in the world, of which 24 are in China. They are grouped into four sections, of which Sect. Calliphysae (Fisch. et Mey.) Borszcz. is the most primitive and Sect. Medusae Sosk. et Alexender. is the most progressive. The Calligonum L. is an ancient genus in the arid desert flora, and central Asia is the place of its origin. Some species migrated to the Middle Asia and Iran, developing into a second center there. Also, some newly occurred species of the Middle Asia emigrated eastwards to central Asia, so the genus Calligonum L. in China comprises components of both central Asia and the Middle Asia. The genus Calligonum L. is distributed in North Africa, south Europa and Asia, and China is the eastmost part of the distribution range. They grow in Nei Monggol, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. There are 12 species in the Zhuengar Basin, covering 50 percent of the total number of species in China, amd thus the genus is the most abundant there.

The present paper deals with a collection of plant fossils from the Wuyun Group of Heilongjiang Province. These fossils belong to 28 families, 39 genera and 53 species. The flora is composed of 7 species of pteridophytes, 8 of conifers and 37 of angiosperms. All have been fully described, of which ten are new species. Most elements of this flora are subtropic or warm-temperate, with only a few of them are temperate ones. The flora consists of conifers and broad-leaved trees adapted to humid warm-temperate or subtropic climate. With the physiognomy of leaves, 40 per cent of them are of entire margin, and most are medium-sized, with some megaphyllous. The nervation is mostly palmate. These characters indicate that the climate was warm-temperate or subtropic. Among 35 genera known from the Late Cretaceous of East Asia, 27 are also found in North America, which indicates that the floristic relationship between East Asia and North Americal was closer at that time than it is now. Therefore the number of genera in common has been decreasing through the age, because these two regions have been detached from each other since the late Eocene, as a result of continental drift. Only some relic forms left on both sides, and only 4.1% of genera are common to both continents. After the early Tertiary the floras of East Asia and North America have been developing independently. The Chinese flora of the Late Cretaceous may be divided into three Zones from the north to the south: (1) warm temperate-subtropic zone, rich in Metasequoia, Ginkgo, Trochodendroides, Platanus, Trochodendron, Protophyllum, Ampelopsis Pterospermites and Menispermites; (2) subtropic or dry subtropic transitional zone; and (3) subtropictropic zone, rich in Brachyphyllum, Cinnamomum, Nectandra and Palms. The Wuyun flora is considered closely related to the Chajiayang Group and SikhoteAlin flora of USSR, with 15 genera in common and also related to the Kuji flora of Japan (Cenonian), with 11 genera in common. It is interesting to note that 11 genera are also found in North America (Canada and Alaska) of the Late Cretaceous. The palynological assemblage of the Wuyun flora is closely related to Minshui flora of the Souliao Basin, 15 genera being common to the both. Seventy per cent of megafossils of the Wuyun flora have become extinct, which seems to show that the age of the flora is older than Paleocene and is assigned to the Latest Late Crataceous (Maestrichtian-Dani-an).

Three epiphyllous liverworts, Leptolejeunea elliptica (Lehm. et Lindenb.) Schiffn., Pedinolejeunea planissima (Mitt.) Chen et Wu and Leptocolea minuta (Mitt.) Chen et Wu, are found in Qimen County (29°39′ N. Lat., 117°31′ E. Long.), Anhui Province, recently. Thus the northern boundary line of the distribution of the epiphyllous liverworts is about 1.18° in SE China norther than reported. Their vertical distribution of ca. 200 m above sea level is also the lowest one of the epiphyllous liverworts in China. Previously Pedinolejeunea planissima was recorded in Hainan Island and Taiwan Province in China, and in Vietnam; Leptocolea minuta only in Taiwan Province and Japan. Pedinolejeunea planissima and Leptocolea minuta discovered in southern Anhui both have perianthes and the former also has antheridia. It seems that they are neither the typical types, nor “the invaders” came from the islands of East Asia. Key words Qimen,Anhui Province;epiphyllous liverworts;Leptoleijeunea elliptica;Pedinolejeunea planissima;Leptocolea minuta.

Chai-Hu is one of the most popular Chinese traditional drugs used ever since the ancient time and is prescribed principally in the treatment of fevers and influenza. In this article, the authors report a new species, Bupleurum luxieuse Y. Li et S. L. Pan which was discovered in Yunnan Province and used as Chinese drug under the name of Chai-Hu. The morphology was analysed and preliminary phytochemical tests of B. luxiense were carried out. The thin layer chromatograms and gas chromatograms of the essential oil and the qualitative analysis of the saikosaponin of this new species are similar to those of Bupleurum chinense DC., a standard material medica of Chai-Hu. Moreover, the roots of B. luxiense is discovered to have saikoside 2 times more than B. chinense. The results suggest that the new species be used as a substitute of high quality for Chai-Hu.

A report of chromosome numbers for eight species endemic to China is made in the paper, including first counts for 4 genera and 4 species and first karyotypic analyses of two species. Sinojohnstonia chekiangensis (Migo) W. T. Wang (Boraginaceae) 2n=24*; Coptis chinenis Franch (Ranunculaceae) 2n=18**; Dichocarpum dalzielii (Drumm. et Hutch.) W. T. Wang et Hsiao (Ranunculaceae) 2n=24*; Eomecon chionantha Hance (Papaveraceae) 2n=18; Camptotheca acuminata Dcne. (Nyssaceae) 2n=44; Calycanthus chinensis Cheng et S. Y. Chang (Calycanthaceae) 2n=22**; Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Eucommiaceae) n=17; Pinellia pedatisecta Schott (Araceae) 2n=26; The previous reports of chromosome numbers of the same groups are compared with our own (See Table 1). The vouchers for the present study are preserved in the Herbarium of Futan University.

The comparisom of karyotypes between 10 different materials of T. monococcum and T. boeoticum was carried out using flame-drying slides prepared by smear method. Cytological observation shows that their karyotypes appear very similar and may belong to the genome A of wheat. They both are found to possess 7 pairs of chromosomes (2n=14), i.e. 5 pairs of metacentric and 2 pairs of submetacentric chromosomes. All the No. 5 chromosomes have a satellite.