Abstract: The present paper concerns itself with three Composite genera of the tribe Cynareae  (subtribe Carduinae), Vladimiria Ilj., Diplazoptilon Ling and Dolomiaea DC., all ranging  throughout the Sino-himalayan region,  These genera have in the past always been as-  sociated with the Eurasiatic genus Jurinea Cass., though there is hardly anything that  can indicate such a relationship. Jurinea, according to the conception of Iljin, is a clearly  deliminated natural genus, while the three genera now in question are all closely allied to  Saussurea DC., being quite remote from Jurinea in the corolla forms,  the structure  of  receptacle and pappus, and also in the morphology of pollen grains. Vladimiria was founded by Iljin, based on  Jurinea  salwinensis Hand.-Mzt.  The  genus is a close relative of Saussurea from which it differs chiefly in the usually many  seriate pappus which are composed of scabrous or partly barbellulate bristles.  As a re-  sult of our study, a tentative scheme of classification is here proposed, in which Iljin's  original generic concept has been amplified to include a dozen of species previously re-  ferred to Jurinea by Franchet, Diels, Anthony and Handel-Mazzetti from  the  flora  of  south-western China and adjacent countries.  Two sections, namely,  sect. Sorocephalos  Ling and sect. Vladimiria (Saussurea sect. Carduella Franch., Mazzettia Ilj.), are being proposed.   Diplazoptilon, a new monotypic genus based upon Jurinea picridifolia Hand.-Mzt., is here proposed.  It occupies an intermediate position between Vladimiria and Saussurea with a closer affinity to the former, from both of which  it is,  however,  distinguished chiefly by the biseriate pappus with equal plumose bristles.     Dolomiaea, a natural genus early founded by De Candolle on the basis of the Hima- layan D. macrocephala DC., was considered by Bentham and Hooker f. as not different from Jurinea, a treatment having being followed since by most botanists  of  the past. But, as mentioned above, its relationship with Saussurea is obvious.  It seems to differ from that genus in the two to many seriate pappus, consisting of numerous barbellulate bristles, and in the short style branches.  In view of its affinity with  Saussurea rather than with Jurinea, the generic status of Dolomiaea should be maintained accordingly.  As construed above, the genus is now represented by about 5 species, most of which werepreviously referred to Jurinea by different botanists.