鹅掌楸（Ｌｉｒｉｏｄｅｎｄｒｏｎｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｅ（Ｈｅｍｓｌ．）Ｓａｒｇ．）星散分布于长江流域以南海拔４５０～１８００ｍ阔叶林中。依其自然地理区域，鹅掌楸在我国西部，从北由大巴山，经武陵山、大娄山，伸向云贵高原东部，形成一条东北．西南走向分布带，在东部和中南部，有５个各自以中、低山为中心，被平原相间隔的“岛”状分布。较大种群多分布在我国西部。与北美鹅掌楸（Ｌ．ｔｕｌｉｐｉｆｅｒａＬ．）在北美洲的分布相比，鹅掌楸为星散间断分布，天然更新不良，在自然群落中多为偶见种。中国东部和西部鹅掌楸在形态上存在较明显的差别，西部种群在花被片颜色，叶片裂片变化及同工酶等方面表现出与北美鹅掌楸有更多的相似特性。因而推论，现存鹅掌楸属的这两个对应种，在地史上是通过欧洲及大西洋陆桥建立联系的 Liriodendronchinense (Hemsl.) Sarg. Is scattered in the 450-1800 m broadleaf forest at an elevation of 450 meters south of the Yangtze River valley. According to its natural geographical region, Liriodendron in western China, from the north Dabashan, Wuling Mountain, Dalaoshan, extending to the eastern Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to form a northeast. Southwest distribution belt, in the eastern and central South, there are five in the middle and low mountains as the center, the plains are separated by “island” -shaped distribution. Larger populations are more distributed in western China. In contrast to the distribution of L. tulipifera L. in North America, Liriodendron chinense is scattered intermittently and has a poorly innovated nature. It is more often found in natural communities. There were obvious morphological differences between Liriodendron chinense and western Liriodendron in China. The western populations showed more similar characteristics to the Liriodendron tulipifera in terms of the color of the perianth pieces, leaf blade lobes and isozymes. Therefore, it is concluded that the two corresponding species of the existing Liriodendron, in the history of the earth through the European and Atlantic land bridge to establish contact