Abstract: The pollen grains of 13 species belonging to 4 genera of Stachyuraceae and Staphyleaceae were examined by light and scanning electron microscopes. Some of them were reported or examined by scanning electron microscope for the first time. The pollen grains examined here are subspheroidal to spheroidal;3-colporate(Tapiscia pollen is 3-colpate). The size and exine sculpture of pollen grains in these two families are different to some extent. The pollen size of Stachyuraceae is 18-28.2×17.5~26.5um, smaller than that of Staphyleaceae, which is 28~40×28.5~40.5um(Tapiscia pollen is very small,only 13.5~17.9×12.5~18um). The wall exine of Stachyuraceae is foveolate sculpture but that of Staphyleaceae is finely reticulte. As far as the pollenmorphology is concerned, two families are related to some extent. Their phylogenic relationships, however, need to be studied by comparison with other families such as Dilleniaceae, Actinidiaceae and Theaceae.

Key words: Stachyuraceae