Abstract: In the present paper, karyomorphology were investigated with the materials of 3 species, 1 variety in Taxus and Pseudotaxus chienii in China. The interphase nuclei and prophase chromosomes of these species or variety were commonly found to be the complex chromocenter type and the interstitial type respectively according to Tanaka' s catalogue. And the karyotypes of metaphase chromosomes were formulated to be K2n = 24 = 20m + 2sm + 2T for Taxus chinensis, T. chinensis var. mairei and Pseudotaxus chienii, K2n = 24 = 18m + 4sm + 2T for T. cuspidata, and K2n = 24 = 21m + Ism + 2T for T. yunnanensis. The centromeric terminalization value (T. C. %) was 58.22 for T. chinensis, 55.75 for T. chinensis var. mairei, 57.05 for T. cuspidata, 55.79 for T. yunnanensis and 56.43 for P. chienii respectively. Generally, the karyomorphology of these taxa were similar to each other, which they commonly have 2T - chromosomes, about 20 m - chromosomes at metaphase stage .

Key words: Taxus, Pseudotaxus, Karyomorphology