OBJECTIVE To study the medicinal plant resources and their diversity in Kangle County, Gansu Province, and to provide scientific basis on utilization and protection of the medicinal plant resources of the county. METHODS By field survey, sample collection, taxonomic identification and data verification methods. RESULTS There were 258 species, 65 families in existing medicinal plants, of which 43 species, 39 genera and 24 families were national protection medicinal plants. Dominant families were mainly Asteraceae and Rosaceae. In this area,the plants used whole herbs and roots ( or rhizomes) as medicinal materials represented 40.31% and 25.19% respectively, and antipyretic and rheumatism medicine accounted for 28.68% and 12.79% respectively. 12 medicinal plants were cultivated and the cultivated area was 3,000 hectares. CONCLUSIONS However, the reserves of most medicinal plants are less enough and the resources are diminishing increasingly in recent years. So we should accelerate the research progress as well as developing and utilizing rationally on the premise of protection.