The karyotype analysis of various Lilium species native to Yun nan, Northeast China, viz., L. sulphureum, L. nepalense var, L. wenshanense, L. nepalense and L. brownie var. were observed through ordinary tablet compressing method. The results indicated that the chromosome number was 2n=2x=24 in all the species studied. The karyotype formula was 2n=2x=24=2m + 6sm (2SAT) + 4st+12t (4SAT) for Lilium sulphureum; 2n=2x=24=2m + 10st (2SAT) + 12t (4SAT) for Lilium nepalense var.; 2n=2x=24=2m + 2sm+8st (6SAT) +12t (2SAT) for Lilium wenshanense; 2n=2x=24=4m (4SAT) + 10st (4SAT) + 10t for Lilium nepalense; 2n=2x=24=2m + 2sm+10st + 10t for Lilium brownii var. The As.K value (the ratio between long arm and total chromosome length) and the ratio of the length of the longest and the shortest chromosome were recorded as 78.25%~83.71% and 1.83~2.18 respectively. The karyotype of all the species was 3B except for L. nepalense which was 3A. Comparatively, the karyotype analysis of Lilium nepalense var. and Lilium nepalense were similar and genetically close to each other. A great diversity in chromosome morphology was existed among different populations or cultivars of the same species. The genetic diversity of different species or populations could be discriminated thru the number and position of different kinds of chromosomes, as well as the difference of satellite number and positions.