爵床属杜根藤组植物是爵床科核心类群的重要组成部分，亚洲热带、亚热带是其分布中心之一，约有30种，但目前尚未进行过系统的分类修订。亚洲该组植物的种类划分极为混乱：1. 组的范畴存在争议，组下分类系统不完善；2. 种间区别特征细微，分类困难；3. 区别特征依据不合理，物种划分存在问题；4. 可能存在自然杂交种或杂交居群。本项目将在标本查阅和野外考察的基础上，对该组植物主要分类性状：花粉、种子、染色体及花发育等方面进行研究，分析各形态性状的变异式样，评价其分类学意义，并应用分子系统学数据确定组的范畴，探讨组内系统发育关系，建立组下分类系统，完成亚洲杜根藤组植物的分类修订。同时开发适用于该组植物物种鉴定的DNA条形码片段或片段组合，实现对该类群物种进行快速的自动鉴定。本研究将为今后开展该组植物的物种形成和多学科的综合研究奠定基础。

Justicia sect. Harnieria take an important part in the core groups of Acanthaceae with tropical and subtropical regions of Asia being one of its distribution centers, and comprises about 30 species in Asia without any systematic taxonomic revision. The taxonomy of this section, however, has been extremely controversial on several issues. Firstly, it has disagreement on the sectional delimitation and the infra-sectional classification system was still unclear. Secondly, the characteristics of the section between species are so subtle that it is hard to be used for clarified the taxa. Thirdly, the distinguishing characteristics that depend were unreasonable, which lead to improper species delimitation. Fourthly, natural hybridization may occur in the section. The present program will analyze the variation pattern of characters, discuss its evolutionary trends and evaluate its taxonomic significance. A new infra-sectional classification will also be established. The taxonomic revision of Asian sect. Harnieria will finally be finished for the first time based on the herbarium specimen examination, field investigation and the studies on morphology of pollen and seed, floral ontogeny, cytology and molecular evidence. New DNA barcodes or combinations of barcodes that suitable to those recently evolved taxa will be explored for fast automatic species identification. This study will have significance for the speciation of taxa in Justicia sect. Harnieria, as well as provide materials and scientific basis for further multi-disciplinary comprehensive research.