马蓝属是爵床科第三大属，约300种，主要分布于亚洲的热带和亚热带地区，少数种类分布至太平岛屿。在属的范围上一直存在争议，近年来的研究支持广义马蓝属的处理。但是自建立以来，从未对该属进行过系统而全面的修订。本项目将对马蓝属植物的主要分类特征进行综合分析，结合叶表皮特征、种子形态、花粉形态、花器官的发生发育及细胞学等的研究，为建立属的分类系统提供形态学依据。应用DNA序列数据来研究广义马蓝属的系统发育关系，建立马蓝属的属下分类系统。通过馆藏标本研究，结合野外考察，观察马蓝属植物的变异式样，澄清分类和命名上的混乱，首次完成世界范围内该属的全面修订。

The genus Strobilanthes Blume is the third largest genus in the family Acanthaceae. It comprises about 300 species and is distributed in the tropical and subtropical region of Asian with some species extending to Pacific islands. It is disagreement on whether the broad or narrow sense of concept might be accepted. The recently studies supported the view of broad sense of generic concept. But the genus has never been revised since established. The present program will establish a new calssification with the genus on the basis of the studies on the morphology of leaf epidermis, pollen and seed, floral ontogeny, cytology and molecular evidence. The genus will be revised for the first time based on the herbarium specimens examined and field investigation.