Abstract: Pterocektis tartarinowii Maxim is considered an endangered species on the brink of extinction endemic to China, In order to investigate ecological adaptability of P. tartarinowii Maxim,the comparative observation and analysis of anatomical structure of leaf of different populations were demonstrated by the method of slices of paraffin wax and isolation in this paper .The results showed that the anatomical structure of leaves adopt well to the dry and poor limestone area. The drought resistance of P. tartarinowii Maxim from the population of Ying Ping hill in which habitat was the poorest was the strongest. The leaves had xeromorphic characteristics, including thickened leaves, thickened epidermis cell wall and cuticle, well developed palisade tissue, densely arranged cell. Small and dense stomata and distribute in cluster etc. This research is helpful for the application of P. tartarinowii Maxim in limestone area.

Key words: Pterocektis tartarinowii Maxim, leaf, anatomical structure, ecological adaptability