Abstract: The seeds of 10 species (96 samples)of the genus Schisandra Michaux are observed under light microscope and scanning electron microscope.The microstructural featrres of the seed surface are sys-tematically reported for the first time,and a key ot the species is provided in this paper.The risults inde-cate that:the macrostructural features of seed surface including smooth type,rugulose type and tudirculate type may suggest the evolutionary trend from smooth type to rugulose type, from rugulose type to tuberculate type ;the microstructural features of outer epidermis can be divided into two types,viz.verrucate type and reticulate type.Connected other characters,it is thought that the species which the reticulate eype repre-sents should be created coordinate classification with other species of the genus.Some differences between species are found ,which can de used for the identification to subdivision of the genus and supraspecific taxon,furthermore, their structural diversity provides taconomic evidence snd valuable information for phy-logeny of the genus

Key words: Schisandra