Abstract: By high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS), maytansine, maytanprine and maytanbutine, three anticancer maytansinoids were successfully isolated and identified from ten species of plants belonging to Celastraceae. These plants are: Maytenus graciliramula, M. austroyunnanensis, M. orbiculata, M. hookeri Loes var. longiradiata, M. inflata, M. berberoides, M. esquirolii, M. variabilis, M. royleana and M. senegalensis. This result shows that the plant resources containing maytansinoids in China are rather aboundant.