Abstract: Regional floras in China have been broadly studied since Z . Y . Wu documented distribution types of Chinese seed plants at generic level . A huge number of papers on regional floras have been published . Two main misuses on data analysis were recognized from some articles of the floristic studies: 1 Distribution types at specific level were obtained by directly
copying the generic areal-types that species belong to; 2 Floristic affinities were concluded by the similarities of composition of areal-types of compared regional floras . Here we clarify that areal-type of a genus is defined by concluding distributions of all species in the genus , therefore specific distribution types are not the same as their generic areal- types except
monotypic genera . Similarities of composition of areal-types between compared regional floras do not necessarily represent their floristic similarities because the same generic areal-type can be composed by different genera from different plant families . Floristic affinity could be concluded by resemblance coefficients of species, genera and families , especially those
of endemic ones common to these regions, between the compared regional floras .

Key words: Floristic studies in China