Quantifying the impact of earthquakes and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow prone areas:A case study in the Hengduan Mountains

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas holds significant implications for regional risk management, particularly in seismically active regions with geological faults. Despite the significance of this knowledge, a comprehensive quantification of the influence of regional topographical and geological factors on the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas has been lacking. This study selected the Hengduan Mountains, an earthquake-prone region characterized by diverse surface conditions and complex landforms, as a representative study area. An improved units zoning and objective factors identification methodology was employed in earthquake and fault analysis to assess the impact of seismic activity and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debrisflow prone areas. Results showed that the application of GIS technology with hydrodynamic intensity and geographical units analysis can effectively analyze debris-flow prone areas. Meanwhile, earthquake and fault zones obviously increase the density of debrisflow prone catchments and make them unevenly distributed. The number of debris-flow prone areas shows a nonlinear variation with the gradual increase of geomorphic factor value. Specifically, the area with 1000 m-2500 m elevation difference, 25°-30° average slope, and 0.13-0.15 land use index is the most favorable conditions for debris-flow occurrence;The average annual rainfall from 600 to 1150 mm and landslides gradient from 16° to 35° are the main causal factors to trigger debris flow. Our study sheds light on the quantification of spatial heterogeneity in debris flow-prone areas in earthquake-prone regions, which can offer crucial support for post-debris flow risk management strategies.

Climate-Vegetation Coverage Interactions in the Hengduan Mountains Area, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau, and Their Downstream Effects

Little is known about the mechanism of climate-vegetation coverage coupled changes in the Tibetan Plateau(TP)region,which is the most climatically sensitive and ecologically fragile region with the highest terrain in the world.This study,using multisource datasets(including satellite data and meteorological observations and reanalysis data)revealed the mutual feedback mechanisms between changes in climate(temperature and precipitation)and vegetation coverage in recent decades in the Hengduan Mountains Area(HMA)of the southeastern TP and their influences on climate in the downstream region,the Sichuan Basin(SCB).There is mutual facilitation between rising air temperature and increasing vegetation coverage in the HMA,which is most significant during winter,and then during spring,but insignificant during summer and autumn.Rising temperature significantly enhances local vegetation coverage,and vegetation greening in turn heats the atmosphere via enhancing net heat flux from the surface to the atmosphere.The atmospheric heating anomaly over the HMA thickens the atmospheric column and increases upper air pressure.The high pressure anomaly disperses downstream via the westerly flow,expands across the SCB,and eventually increases the SCB temperature.This effect lasts from winter to the following spring,which may cause the maximum increasing trend of the SCB temperature and vegetation coverage in spring.These results are helpful for estimating future trends in climate and eco-environmental variations in the HMA and SCB under warming scenarios,as well as seasonal forecasting based on the connection between the HMA eco-environment and SCB climate.

A New Species of the Genus Nanorana Günther,1896(Anura:Dicroglossidae)from Hengduan Mountains of China

An integrative study based on morphological data and mitochondrial molecular data of all known Nanorana(sensu stricto)species have revealed a new species from the Hengduan Mountains,N.huangi sp.nov.The new species can be distinguished from its congers by its:(1)medium body size,SVL 31.3–40.6 mm in adult males(n=12),39.2–48.1 mm in adult females(n=8);(2)absence of subarticular tubercles on fingers,with supernumerary tubercles below the base of the fingers small but distinct;(3)presence of dark dorsal patches without pale margins,generally creamy yellow ventral body basically,bright yellow ventral limbs;(4)small but prominent tympanum;(5)tibio-tarsal joint that reaches to the tympanum or the shoulder when hindlimbs adpressed forward towards body;(6)head length more than 30%of SVL.In addition,the new species can be separated from all other congeners by uncorrected genetic distances:ranging from 2.8%–7.5%of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA,1.1%–2.1%of the 16S rRNA,and 7.5%–11.5%of the COI.

Origins and evolution of plant diversity in the Hengduan Mountains, China

1.Introduction The Hengduan Mountains region(HDM)in southwest China,one of the earth's 34 biodiversity hotspots,is characterized by its unique geology,dramatic topography,a climate where snow and below freezing temperatures can occur on any day of the year,by its location at elevations averaging between(1400e)2000 and4500(e5300)meters above sea level(m a.s.l.),and by one of

Phylogenetic pattern of alpine plants along latitude and longitude in Hengduan Mountains Region

To detect the horizontal pattern of phylogenetic structure shown by alpine plants, we measured phylogenetic structure using net related index(NRI) and net nearest taxon index(NTI), and analyzed the phylogenetic structure patterns of alpine plants along longitude, latitude and environmental gradients in the Hengduan Mountains Region(HDMR). Our results show that: 1) the phylogenetic structure tended to cluster with increasing latitude and longitude; 2) for NRI, latitude was closer related than longitude,while for NTI, longitude was closer related than latitude, though they both not significantly relate to NTI.The phylogenetic structure tended towards overdispersion in the southern HDMR, with good climate conditions of higher mean annual temperature and more mean annual precipitation. In contrast, with harsh climate conditions of lower mean annual temperature and less mean annual precipitation, the increasing environmental stress led to phylogenetic clustering in the northern HDMR. The results highlighted that in the alpine region of HDMR, environmental filters and geographical isolation had a great effect on the latitudinal and longitudinal alpine species distribution, respectively.

Phylogenetic relationships of the zokor genus Eospalax(Mammalia,Rodentia,Spalacidae)inferred from whole-genome analyses,with description of a new species endemic to Hengduan Mountains

Zokors in the genus Eospalax,which are endemic to northern and western China,are subterranean rodents that inhabit various niches,including grasslands,high-altitude meadows,forests,and farmlands.Six species in Eospalax were described a century ago but their taxonomy and phylogeny remain controversial.In this study,we performed high-depth whole-genome sequencing of 47 zokor samples,comprising all six previously described species.Genomic analyses revealed a reliable and robust phylogeny of Eospalax and supported the validity of the six named species.According to the inferred phylogenetic relationships,Eospalax first divergent into two clades in the early Pliocene(ca.4.68 million years ago(Ma)),one inhabiting the highaltitude Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau(QTP)and adjacent regions,and the another inhabiting the lowaltitude Loess Plateau and Qinling-Daba Mountains.The most recent divergences occurred between E.baileyi and E.smithii and between E.rufescens and E.rothschildi in the late Pliocene(ca.2.09 and 2.19 Ma,respectively).We also collected specimens of zokors in the southern Hengduan Mountains(Muli County,Sichuan Province),far from the known distributions of all other zokors.Morphological and molecular analyses strongly suggested that the specimens represent a new species,formally described here as Eospalax muliensis sp.nov.The new species belongs to the high-altitude clade and diverged from closely related species(ca.4.22 Ma)shortly after the first divergence in Eospalax.Interestingly,Eospalax muliensis sp.nov.possesses more supposedly plesiomorphic characters,suggesting a possible origin of the genus in the Hengduan Mountains.

Forest disturbances and the attribution derived from yearly Landsat time series over 1990–2020 in the Hengduan Mountains Region of Southwest China

Background:Natural forests in the Hengduan Mountains Region(HDMR)have pivotal ecological functions and provide diverse ecosystem services.Capturing long-term forest disturbance and drivers at a regional scale is crucial for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation.Methods:We used 30-m resolution Landsat time series images and the LandTrendr algorithm on the Google Earth Engine cloud platform to map forest disturbances at an annual time scale between 1990 and 2020 and attributed causal agents of forest disturbance,including fire,logging,road construction and insects,using disturbance properties and spectral and topographic variables in the random forest model.Results:The conventional and area-adjusted overall accuracies(OAs)of the forest disturbance map were 92.3% and 97.70%±0.06%,respectively,and the OA of mapping disturbance agents was 85.80%.The estimated disturbed forest area totalled 3313.13 km^(2)(approximately 2.31% of the total forest area in 1990)from 1990 to 2020,with considerable interannual fluctuations and significant regional differences.The predominant disturbance agent was fire,which comprised approximately 83.33% of the forest area disturbance,followed by logging(12.2%),insects(2.4%)and road construction(2.0%).Massive forest disturbances occurred mainly before 2000,and the post-2000 annual disturbance area significantly dropped by 55% compared with the pre-2000 value.Conclusions:This study provided spatially explicit and retrospective information on annual forest disturbance and associated agents in the HDMR.The findings suggest that China’s logging bans in natural forests combined with other forest sustainability programmes have effectively curbed forest disturbances in the HDMR,which has implications for enhancing future forest management and biodiversity conservation.

Elevational patterns of functional diversity and trait of Delphinium(Ranunculaceae)in Hengduan Mountains,China

Elevational patterns of trait occurrence and functional diversity provide an important perspective for understanding biodiversity.However,previous studies have mostly examined functional diversity at the community scale.Here,we examined large-scale patterns of trait occurrence and functional diversity in Delphinium along an elevational gradient from 1000 to 5700 m in the Hengduan Mountains,SW China.Elevational distribution and trait data of 102 Delphinium species were compiled to evaluate the patterns of interspecific traits,species richness,and functional diversity.We found that the distribution of species richness showed a unimodal curve that peaked between 3500 and 4000 m;functional diversity and traits showed different patterns along an elevational gradient The functional diversity increased at a lower rate along an elevation gradient,whereas species richness continued to increase.Species with large ranges and non-endemic species were most affected by geometric constraints.Richness of species endemic to the Hengduan Mountains peaked at higher elevations,likely due to increased speciation and restricted dispersion under alpine conditions.We conclude that the middle elevation region is not only the functionally richest but also the most functionally stable region for Delphinium,which could be insurance against environmental change.Extreme conditions and strong environmental filters in an alpine environment may cause the convergence of species traits,which could relate to reducing nutrient trait investment and increasing reproductive trait investment.We conclude that large-scale studies are consistent with previous studies at the community scale.This may indicate that the relationship between functional diversity and species richness across different scales is the same.

Distribution patterns of clonal plants in the subnival belt of the Hengduan Mountains,SW China

Clonal reproduction(i.e.,production of potentially independent offspring by vegetative growth)is thought to provide plants with reproductive assurance.Thus,studying the evolution of clonal reproduction in local floras is crucial for our understanding of the adaptive mechanisms plants deploy in stressful environments such as alpine regions.In this study,we characterized clonal plant species in the subnival belt of the Hengduan Mountains(a global biodiversity hotspot with extreme environmental conditions in southwest China),in order to determine the effects of sex system,growth form,and elevational distribution on clonality.We compiled clonality data of angiosperm species belonging to 41 families in the subnival belt of the Hengduan Mountains using published information.Of the 793 species recorded in the region,47.92%(380 species)are clonal species.Both sex system and growth form had significant effects on the occurrence of clonal reproduction:unisexual species(79.79%)were more likely to be clonal than bisexual species(43.63%),and herbaceous species(51.04%)were more likely to be clonal than woody species(16.67%).Compared with non-alpine-endemic species(44.60%),alpine-endemic species(58.33%)showed a significantly higher proportion of clonal reproduction.Further logistic regression analysis showed a positive association between incidence of clonality and elevational range,indicating that species distributed at high elevations are more likely to be clonal.Furthermore,the elevational gradients in clonality were contingent on sex system or growth form.This study reveals that plants in the subnival belt of the Hengduan Mountains might optimize their probability of reproduction through clonal reproduction,a finding that adds to our growing understanding of plant's adaptations to harsh alpine environments.

Spatial Information Research for Temperature and Precipitation Climate Data in Hengduan Mountains

[Objective] The aim was to study the spatial information of temperature and precipitation data in Hengduan mountains. [Method] Considering GIS spatial interpolation and numerical statistics theory, spatial prediction were carried out to the ten years average temperature and precipitation flux observation data in 109 sparse meteorological stations in Hengduan Mountains. Based on the spatial range of geographic position of Hengduan Mountains, and 1∶1 000 000 scale DEM as data sources, and using trend surface simulation and residual ordinary Kriging interpolation correction method, the spatial continuous surface for annual average temperature and precipitation were studied. [Result] It was scientific and reasonable to use certain unevenly distributed sparse climate observation station value, and by dint of trend simulation and residue interpolation method to get climate consecutive spatial result. This method can not only accurate the temperature and precipitation spatial distributions to grid point, but also can reflect macro and micro geography factors and topographic influence factor of variation. Furthermore, it can be predicted error term trend surface reasonable spatial distribution. Simulation results were basically in accordance with the objective law, and can be used for the region climate data spatial informatization simulation. [Conclusion] The study provided scientific spatial basic data for the further study of ecological and vegetation in Hengduan Mountains.

Adaptive responses drive the success of polyploid yellowcresses(Rorippa,Brassicaceae)in the Hengduan Mountains,a temperate biodiversity hotspot

Polyploids contribute substantially to plant evolution and biodiversity;however,the mechanisms by which they succeed are still unclear.According to the polyploid adaptation hypothesis,successful polyploids spread by repeated adaptive responses to new environments.Here,we tested this hypothesis using two tetraploid yellowcresses(Rorippa),the endemic Rorippa elata and the widespread Rorippa palustris,in the temperate biodiversity hotspot of the Hengduan Mountains.Speciation modes were resolved by phylogenetic modeling using 12 low-copy nuclear loci.Phylogeographical patterns were then examined using haplotypes phased from four plastid and ITS markers,coupled with historical niche reconstruction by ecological niche modeling.We inferred the time of hybrid origins for both species as the mid-Pleistocene,with shared glacial refugia within the southern Hengduan Mountains.Phylogeographic and ecological niche reconstruction indicated recurrent northward colonization by both species after speciation,possibly tracking denuded habitats created by glacial retreat during interglacial periods.Common garden experiment involving perennial R.elata conducted over two years revealed significant changes in fitness-related traits across source latitudes or altitudes,including latitudinal increases in survival rate and compactness of plant architecture,suggesting gradual adaptation during range expansion.These findings support the polyploid adaptation hypothesis and suggest that the spread of polyploids was aided by adaptive responses to environmental changes during the Pleistocene.Our results thus provide insight into the evolutionary success of polyploids in high-altitude environments.

A New Species of Japalura(Squamata, Agamidae) from the Nu River Valley in Southern Hengduan Mountains, Yunnan, China

A population of Japalura from Yunnan Province, China, previously assigned to Japalura splendida, is described as a new species. The new species has been recorded between 1 138–2 500 m in the Nu River drainage between the towns of Liuku and Binzhongluo, and on the lower western slopes of the Nushan and eastern slopes of the Goaligongshan. The new species can be distinguished from other species of Japalura, except J. dymondi, by the following combination of characters： exposed tympani, prominent dorso-lateral stripes, and small gular scales. It is very similar with but differs from J. dymondi by having smooth or feebly keeled dorsal head scales, three relatively enlarged spines on either side of the post-occiput area, strongly keeled and mucronate scales on occiput area and within the lateral stripes, back of arm and leg green, higher number of dorsal-ridge scales（DS） and fourth toe subdigital scales（T4S）. A principal component analysis of body measurements of adult male specimens of the new species and J. dymondi showed principal component 1 loading highest for upper arm length, fourth toe length and snout to eye length and principal component 2 loading highest for head width, head length and fourth toe length.

Karyotypes of nineteen species of Asteraceae in the Hengduan Mountains and adjacent regions

The Hengduan Mountains region is a biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we report the karyotypes of 19 species(21 populations) of Asteraceae from this region, 14 of which are reported for the first time. We also examined polyploidy in Asteraceae plants and summarized karyotype data in the literature for 69 congeneric taxa. In these genera, there were five different ploidy levels in the region, though the most dominant was diploid(73.08%). There is no direct evidence that ploidy level and karyotype asymmetry are associated with the distribution of recorded Asteraceae species from the Hengduan Mountains. This suggests that polyploidy(26.92%) may not play an important role in the evolutionary history of these plants, even though, among these genera, the ratio of paleopolyploidy was high(46.15%).

Spatio-temporal variation of Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation absorbed by vegetation in the Hengduan Mountains, China

The Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation(FPAR) is an important indicator of the primary productivity of vegetation. FPAR is often used to estimate the assimilation of carbon dioxide in vegetation. Based on MOD15 A2 H/FPAR data product, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and variation trend of FPAR in different vegetation types in 2001 to 2018 were analyzed in the Hengduan Mountains. The response of FPAR to climate change was investigated by using Pearson correlation analytical method and partial least squares regression analysis. Results showed that the FPAR in Hengduan Mountains presented an increasing trend with time. Spatially, it was high in the south and low in the north, and it also showed obvious vertical zonality by elevation gradient.The vegetation FPAR was found to be positively correlated with air temperature and sunshine duration but negatively correlated with precipitation. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that the influence of sunshine duration on vegetation FPAR in Hengduan Mountains was stronger than that of air temperature and precipitation.

Resolving place names in Amdo and Kham:A gazetteer for the Hengduan Mountains region of Southwest China

Perhaps no region on earth presents such a confusing array of place names as does the area made up of the former provinces of Kham and Amdo in historic Tibet (Xizang). Within these areas, cities, towns, villages, mountains, lakes and other geographic features have at least two names applied to them, one Tibetan, the other Chinese. Overlying this indigenous nomenclature are the names applied by outsiders, mostly Europeans, each of whom used their native language to transliterate the names they heard or read from Tibetan or Chinese script, and names in the languages of other ethnic minorities who live within the area. Adding to the confusion are the conflicting “standards” for transliterating Tibetan and Chinese names. To resolve the inconsistencies and uncertainties of place names in this region, a multilingual gazetteer and thesaurus was prepared. The gazetteer-thesaurus was compiled to be used as a tool for correlating the often radically different names assigned to a single place or feature and to provide the geographic coordinates for each. The impetus for this project was the need to assign geographic coordinates to plant specimens collected in the area since the latter part of the 19th century up until the advent and widespread use of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers in the 1990s. Georeferencing specimens is necessary for plotting the historical distribution of species and for more completely understanding the information contained on specimen labels. Knowing the distribution of plants is important for answering phylogenetic questions, determining local and widespread biogeographical patterns, identifying areas of unusually high diversity or endemism, and determining areas in need of special protection. The value of such a gazetteer, however, extends well beyond the field of botany. It is intended to be of use to anyone with a desire to know the nomenclatural history of places in the area and for pinpointing with a fair degree of accuracy the location of each of those places.

Discussion on Rb-Sr Isochron Ages of Granitoids in the Hengduan Mountains

Based on the Rb-Sr isotopic study of the granitoids in the Hengduan Mountains, the classification andgeologic significance of whole-rock Rb-Sr isochrons as well as the factors influencing homogenization of theisotopic systems are discussed. Usually. there is no good linear correlation of isochrons for diorites andalkali-rich intrusive rocks (including alkaline rock and alkalic granite). But by means of the external isochron ofmonominerals from the rocks. isochrons with good linear correlation as well as ages and Sr initial ratios with ahigh confidence can be obtained. In order to obtain a satisfactory isochron, the discriminant parameters shouldbe calculated from the Rb/Sr ratios and estimated ages of samples. Only those that meet the requirements canbe used as the Rb-Sr isochrons. The quality of an isochron should be judged from three factors, i.e. correlationcoefficient. MSWD and homogenization degree.

A new scheme of climate-vegetation regionalization in the Hengduan Mountains Region

The Hengduan Mountains Region(HMR) is essential for the future ecological protection, clean energy production,Sichuan-Xizang and Yunnan-Xizang railways, and other major infrastructure projects in China. The distributions of climate and vegetation exhibit significant regional differentiation and vertical zonality due to the rugged longitudinal ranges and gorges and the complex disaster-prone environments in HMR. Therefore, it is urgent to develop the climate-vegetation regionalization in HMR to effectively satisfy the national requirements such as agricultural production and ecological protection, mountain disaster risk prevention, and major project construction. We here develop a new scheme of climate-vegetation regionalization with the latest demarcation outcome of HMR, the ground observation from 122 meteorological stations in HMR and its surrounding areas during 1990–2019, and the high-precision remote sensing data of land cover types. The new scheme first constructs the regionalization index system, fully considering the extraordinarily complicated geomorphic pattern of mountains and valleys, the scarcity of meteorological observations, and the remarkable differentiation of climate and vegetation in HMR. The system consists of three primary regionalization indices(i.e., days with daily average temperature steady above 10°C, aridity index, and main vegetation types, dividing the temperature zones, moisture regions, and vegetation subregions, respectively) and three auxiliary indices of the accumulated temperature above 10°C, and the temperatures in January and July. Then, the HMR is divided into five temperature zones, 20 moisture regions, and 55 vegetation subregions. Compared with previous regionalization schemes, the new scheme optimizes the climate spatial interpolation model of thin plate smoothing spline suitable for the unique terrain in HMR. Moreover, the disputed division index threshold between different climatic zones(regions) is scientifically clarified using geographical detectors. Specifically, the stepwise downscaling pane division method is initially proposed to determine the zoning boundary, alleviating the excessive dependence of the traditional zoning method on subjective experience.Besides, the scheme considers the typical regional characteristics of the complex underlying surface and the high gradient zone of climate-vegetation distribution types in HMR. Consequently, the transition zone with quick climate changes between the plateau temperate and mid-subtropical zones is divided into mountainous subtropics, taking into account the spatial distribution characteristics of climate-vegetation regionalization indices. The regionalization scheme will provide practically theoretical support for agricultural production, ecological protection, major project construction, disaster prevention and relief efforts, and other socioeconomic activities in HMR, serving as a classic case of climate-vegetation regionalization for the alpine and canyon regions with intricate underlying surface, striking regional differences, and lack of ground observations.

Cosmogenic^(10)Be dating of the oldest moraine in the Hengduan Mountains

The Hengduan Mountains is in the transitional zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)and the YunnanGuizhou Plateau in China,and a key area for elucidating the Quaternary environmental changes in Asia.The paleo-Daocheng ice cap was located on the Shaluli Hilly Plateau in the northeastern Hengduan Mountains,the oldest moraines in the Hengduan Mountains region were found in the ice cap area.Such glacial landforms provide key evidence to study the timing when this area entered the cryosphere with the uplift of the QTP.However,it is difficult to collect suitable glacial boulders from these moraines for traditional terrestrial in-situ cosmogenic nuclide(TCN)exposure dating because of long-term severe moraine degradation.Here,we collected clast samples from the moraine surface and depth profile to constrain the age of the oldest moraine in Kuzhaori(moraine E)using TCN^(10)Be dating technique.The minimum^(10)Be ages of five clast samples from the moraine surface range from 187.4±1.5 to 576.8±4.3 ka,implying that the moraine has been seriously degraded since deposition.Based on the TCN^(10)Be concentrations of the samples from a depth profile and simulations,the exposure-erosion-inheritance history of the profile was obtained.By fitting to the profile^(10)Be concentrations using the chi-square test,the simulations yielded a reliable age of 626.0±52.5 ka for the moraine.Therefore,the oldest moraine(moraine E)in Kuzhaori was most likely formed at about 0.63Ma ago,corresponding to the marine isotope stage(MIS)16.This glaciation represents the maximum Quaternary glaciation after the QTP was elevated into the cryosphere by the Kunlun-Yellow River Tectonic Movement.

Spatial distribution and temporal trends in potential evapotranspiration over Hengduan Mountains region from 1960 to 2009

Based on the meteorological data of 20 stations in the Hengduan Mountains region during 1961–2009, the annual and seasonal variation of potential evapotranspiration was analyzed in combination with the Penman-Monteith model. With the method of Spline interpolation under ArcGIS, the spatial distribution of potential evapotranspiration was presented to research the regional difference, and the correlation analysis was used to discuss the dominant factor affecting the potential evapotranspiration. The results indicated that the an-nual potential evapotranspiration showed a decreasing tendency since the 1960s, especially from the 1980s to 1990s, while it showed an increasing tendency since 2000. Regional potential evapotranspiration showed a rate of –0.17 mm a？1. Potential evapotranspiration in north, middle and south of the Hengduan Mountains exhibited decreasing trends over the studied period, and its regional trend was on the decline from southwest to northeast.

Pollen Morphology of Pedicularis sect.Cyathophora,a Group Endemic to the Eastern Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains Region

Pedicularis sect. Cyathophora is a distinctive group endemic to the eastern Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region. It was regarded as a ＇grex＇ or section and included all four general corolla types of Pedicularis. A unique feature of it is that the leaf and bract bases are fused together to form a cup-like structure around the stem at each node. Pollen morphology of seven species in sect. Cyathophora was investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and light microscopy （LM）. Two different pollen apertures could be distinguished （i.e. trisyncolpate and bisyncolpate） using LM, while examination with SEM made it possible to recognize three types of exine ornamentation （i.e. microscabrate, microfoveolate and microreticulate）. The microfoveolate exine ornamentation was found in trisyncolpate pollen grains for the first time. Possible relationships between pollen data and the corolla types were discussed. Comparisons of floral and phyllotaxy characters of the genus Pedicularis, together with the pollen characters of sect. Cyathophora, could help us to better understand the evolutionary trends in Pedicularis.