Abstract: Abstract：Chimonanthus nitens Oliv．(Calyeanthuaeeae)is an evergreen shrub，with high omamental va1．
He， naturally distributed in the northem subtropical area of Yan gtze River．This study was done in late autumn of
2002 in Nanjing Botanical Garden，to evaluate the pollination biology of C．nitens Oliv．The pollination charac teristics including flowering phenology， flowering pattem ， species of insects， visitation rate of visitors and their
foraging behavior were investigated，and pollen viability，stigma receptiblity polen—ovule ratio (P／O)and breed—
ing system were also studied ．The results show that C． nitens Oliv．is an an thophilows species；its breeding sys—
tern is facultative hybridization，as the P／O is about 1 190 according to Cruden (1977)．The efect of the wind to
spreading po len is little．an d beetles&re its main visitors which can cause serf-fertilization，scarcely any be es and
flieS．

Key words: Ch#nonamh~ nitens Oliv．, Pollination biology, Breeding system, Insect visitor