Objective: Gentiana lhassica was compared with G. macrophylla in their pharmacognosy. Method: Quality of G. lhassica from some aspects of micromorphology was evaluated

on morphological and physicochemical identification by pharmacognostic determination.HPLC was employed to determine contents of swertiamarin and gentiopicroside with mobile phase of methanol-water for gradient elution and detection wavelength at 254 nm. Result: Cork cells of G. lhassica had only one layer in the inner peripheral skin and peripheral skin.The content of gentiopicroside was 6.24%

higher than standard of the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia.The content of swertiamarin was 0.26%. Conclusion: There are some differences between G. lhassica and G. macrophylla in pharmacognostic character.This study provides important reference for exploitation and utilization of G. lhassica.