Five species of four main groups of Cornus L. (s. l. ) from China were investigated cytologically. The chromosome numbers and karyotype formalas are as follows:  C. controversa Hemsl. 2n=20=2m+8sm+10st; C. alba L. 2n=22=8sm+12st+2t; C. walteri Wanger. 2n=22= 8sm + 14st (0-2SAT); C. officinalis Seib. et Zucc. 2n = 18 = 8m + 10sm (0-2SAT); C. kousa var. chinensis Osborn 2n = 22 = 2sm + 6st (0-2SAT) + 14t.