Abstract: Paris polyphylla var. chinensis is a variant of Paris polyphylla smith of the genus liliaceae. It is a precious traditional Chinese herbal medicine in China with the functions of clearing heat, detoxification, detumescence and pain relief. However, its large-scale production of artificial cultivation could not achieve up to now because of the difficulty of seed germination, low reproductive coefficient and long tuber growth cycle, which affects the utilization and development of resources of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis. In this paper, the morphological characteristics, chemical composition, dormancy and germination of the seeds of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis were reviewed in order to provide references for further research on accelerating the germination speed of the seeds and improving the emergence rate of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis.