Abstract: Pollen grains of 32 species in the genus Adenophora from China were examined under the light microscope (LM)and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results are as follows: (l)Nearly all species of the genus Adenophora possess similar type of spiny porotic pollen grains. Species, sub-species and varieties, however can be indetified by their different exine ornamentation, breadth of lirae, thickness of exine, density of spinule and condition of trema. (2) The evolution trends of the pollen grain in genus Adenophora are: from striate-reticulate, narrow lirae, roundish scrobiculus and dense spinules to striate, brain-gyrus, broad lirae, irregular scrobiculus and sparse spinules in the exine ornamentation. (3) According to this pollen study, conformed with the plant morphology and chromosome studies, the evolutionary tendency of the sections on the genus Adenophora is suggested as: Sect. Basiphyllus P. F. Tu et G. J. Xu→Sect. Ovatifolius P. F. Tu et G. J. Xu→ Sect.

Key words: Adenophora