Abstract:Vegetation evolution is one of highlighted issues of ecosystem evolution research, and focus on biological and ecological features of ‘living fossil’ plants is a critical basis of it. Composition of both spermatophyte and pteridophyte flora of a relict Alsophila spinulosa community in Wutongqiao Nature Reserve of Leshan region was discussed. It shows the proportion of Tropic and Cathaysia elements in both spermatophyte flora and pteridophyte flora was almost 2/3 of the total at the genus level, and even more at the family level. There was a distinct ancient endemism phenomenon in spermatophyte flora, owning to being 8 relict and remnant endemism genera in the total of 9. Furthermore, the proportion of Tropic and Cathaysia elements both at family and genus level in the pteridophyte flora were much greater. We selected 15 representative floras from different climatic zones from north to south, and did DCA ordination between the Reserve flora and them. It showed that both spermatophyte flora and pteridophyte flora of the Reserve were more close to some southern floras, which located in much lower latitudes. It indicated evidently tropical floristic remnant and affinity in the Alsophila spinulosa community. Comparing with the fossil flora from late Cretaceous and Tertiary (i.e. Northeast China flora, Fushun flora in Liaoning, Jinggu flora in Yunnan and Shanwang in Shandong) in China, pteridophyte flora of the Reserve was quite similar to that of late Cretaceous. Nevertheless, its spermatophyte flora was little similar to that of Tertiary, where angiosperm were booming in that period. In a conclusion, there were a considerable proportion of relict and remnant elements which can be traced back to Mesozoic, and even Paleozoic, as well as typical ancient endemism. All of these fully showed evolutionary conservatism and phylogenetic antiquity of the Alsophila spinulosa community during the process of vegetation evolution.