Abstract: Genetic diversity and population differentiation of Viola tenuicornis W. Beck. were studied in nine populations in Beijing using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Allozyme data for 11 loci of 8 enzymes indicated high level of genetic variability in this region with P=72.7％, A=2.4 and H e=0.243. In contrast, the population differentiation was lower than the average of other perennial herb with F st=0.196. It was found that distances among populations had little effect on population differentiation. A sample of 30 individuals could well represent a population, but less than 20 individuals per population might lead to significant bias in the estimation of genetic parameters, in particular the values of A and H e.

Key words: allozyme, genetic diversity, population differentiation, Viola tenuicornis