广义耳草属隶属茜草科钮扣草族，全世界约600种，分布广泛且特有性高。我国目前有耳草属植物75种，约占亚洲地区总数的一半。本属植物的分类学问题从其1753年创立至今就一直存在争论，并且本属物种的命名、模式指定、形态描述、物种划分等也存在着许多问题。本项目在前人对耳草属分类研究的基础上，拟通过文献资料整理、标本查阅测量、野外调查采集等工作，结合形态学、孢粉学、花发育等特征观察方法和DNA条形码技术，以澄清耳草属种类在模式状态和特征描述方面存在的混乱，揭示每个物种（特别是复合群）的居群变异式样。在综合分析以上数据的基础上，确定物种划分的原则和标准，从而解决我国广义耳草属的分类学问题并完成其分类学修订。本项目成果可为全面了解我国广义耳草属植物的物种多样性、深入开展耳草属植物的系统发育和生物地理等提供重要的研究材料，并为进一步拓展对周边国家相关类群的研究奠定基础。

Hedyotis s.l. belongs to the tribe Spermacoceae of the family Rubiaceae. It included about 600 species worldwide and distributed broadly but with high endemism. In China, there are about 75 species, taking up approximately 50% of the total Asian Hedyotis species. Many previous studies showed the taxonomic confusion and dispute over the genus has been existing since it was established in 1753. Moreover, many taxonomic nomenclature, type designation, morphological description, species delimitation criteria, etc. are also involved in this genus. On basis of our previous preliminary work, the present project will begin by literature consultant, field investigation, herbarium specimen examination and population observation and analysis, and combine the morphological, palynological and flora developmental observation methods and molecular DNA barcoding technique, so as to clarify the confusion of the type status and morphological description, reveal the morphological character of the type specimen and the population variation pattern of each species, especially the complex species. Under this circumstance, the comprehensive analysis to the above data will help define the principle and criteria of species delimitation so that we can apply them to deal with the taxonomic problems and finish the taxonomic revision of Chinese Hedyotis species. The results derived from this project will play an important role in not only understanding of the species biodiversity of Hedyotis in China but also can provide important materials for further study on the phylogenetic analysis and biogeography in future. In addition, it can be a solid basis for expanding the work to the adjacent regions.