Abstract:Based on 30 qualitative and 15 quantitative characters of Epimedium,a numerical taxonomy is presented by using the cluster analysis and principal components analysis.Results of cluster analysis show that:(1)The genus can be divided into macro-flowered taxon and micro-flowered taxon.The treatment of Sect.Macroceras,Sect.Polyphyllon and Subg.Rhizophyllum by Stearn is supported,and the taxonomic status of Sect.Epimedium is doubted.(2)In principal components analysis,cumulative ratio of the first three principal components is only 51.86%,and this is probably related to diversified variation and taxonomic complication in Epimedium evolution.However,the result of principal components analysis also indicates the generic division of macro-flowered and micro-flowered taxon.These important characters in Epimedium resulted from principal component analysis,such as ratio of petal length to inner sepal length,spur,whorls of sepal,are valuable for taxonomy of this genus.