Abstract: The main taxonomic characters, such as patterns of floral position, number of ovule per carpel and sexuality of flower in many species of subfamily Magnolioideae were observed in both field and cultivat-ed states (Kunming Botanical Garden) . The temiinal flowers were observed in some plants of tribe Michelieae that was thought having only ax-illary flowers before, such as M. yunnensis, M. sphaerantha, M.figo, M. macclurei, M. balansae. The axillary flowers of tribe Michelieae, in fact, occur tenninally on the abnormal short shoots, which arise from the leaf axils and grow abnormally. In contract, the terminal flowers occur on normal shoots. In the period of alabastrum, the flowers of Magnolia denudata and M. soulangiana of tribe Magnolieae occur tenninally on short shoots although they seem like occurring axillaryly. All flowers of subfamily Magnol-ioideae actually occur terminally on shoots at morphogenesis on the basis of our observations.

Key words: Magnolioideae