Abstract: According to Wang and Xie, their recently  published  genus  Trirostellum  is distinguished from its allied genera by a number of characteristics: (1) the stamens with their filaments coherent into a central column; (2) the female flowers possessing rudimentary stamens; (3) the ovary 3-celled, with one ovule in each cell; (4) the fruits dehiscent, 3-rostrated at the apex; (5) the fruits possessing persistent perianth; (6) the seeds tuberculate and winged.  However, upon a careful comparison of Trirostell- um yixingensis Z.P. Wang et Q. Z. Xie, the type species of Trirostellum with Gyno- stemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Mak., the type species of Gynostemma Bl.  and some other species of Gynostemma as well,we have found that the representatives of the above two genera are identical in most of the important diagnostic characteristics ex- cept that the fruits of the former genus are dehiscent with three long beaks at  the apex, while the fruits of the latter genus are indehiscent  with  very  short  beaks. Besides, results obtained from chromosome counting haove  shown that the somatic chromosome number of Trirostellum yixingensis is 2n=22, while that of Gynostemma pentaphyllum is 2n=28.Yet these morphological and chromosomal differences seem not sufficient for generic demarcation.  We, therefore, suggest that Trirostellum bereduced to a sectional or subgeneric rank of Gynostemma Bl.