Abstract: The morphological features and anatomical structures of Eremurus altaicus(Pall.) Stev. were studied by the methods of traditional paraffin wax sections. The results showed: The root system of E.altaicus was composed of storage and absorbing roots with different anotomic structures and physiological functions, which was a result of ecological adaptation of the ephemeroid plant to its habit of fast growth and long-term annual dormancy; It was of lots of xerophyte characteristics, such as significant cortex and pith in root, cuticle on epidermis of leaf and stem, mass fundamental tissue in stem, ring-shaped palisade tissue, and highly-developed water-storage tissue, which suggested that E.altaicus might originate from arid habitat in early time although it is a mesophyte distributed in subalpine meadow; Two kinds of xylems in roots of the plant were found, xylem in storage root was polyarch, but it in absorbing root was diarch or penarch. There was a layer of obvious stripe-like casparian strips along the transverse walls and radial walls on endodermis cells. The diamorphism of xylem and stripe-like casparian strips on endodermis cells suggested that Eremurus might be special taxa among the plant systematic tree.

Key words: Eremurus altaicus, storage root, absorbing root, casparian strips, diamorphism of xylem, evolution