Abstract: Diuranthera Hemsl. is a monospecies genus of Liliaceae. D. minor Hemsl. is endemic to Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou Province. Its morphological and cytological characteristics and chemical constituents are similar to or the same as the northern border species of Chlorophytum nepalense Baker and C. chinense Bur. et Fr. or C. malayense Ridley. Their distribution area are adjacent or partly overlapped. The author thinks, that the C. malayense polyploid of this pantropical genus has produced adaptable evolution and diversified into different branches when it entered into the more dry and cool Yunnan Plateau. The abruptly changed Diuranthera in morphology is one of its branches, while the C. nepalense and C. chinense are another parallel branch. In a broad sense, the above two genera are a member ofAsphodeleae. but the Diuranthera is younger, it appeared in the Pliocene Epoch ot the early Pleistocene Epoch. It is a newly emerged genus (species) ofAsphodeleae the existanCe and development of which closely related to climate difference caused by the oroganic movement of Himalay and big rise of Yunnan plateau.

Key words: Diuranthera