Table 1. Summary of the taxonomic history of Coptis, showing the main systems of classification.

Torrey and Gray [29]1	Satake [30]2	Tamura [19]
Sect. Chryza	Subgen. Chryza	Subgen. Coptis
C. trifolia	C. trifolia	C. trifolia
	Subgen. Metacoptis	Subgen. Metacoptis
–	Sect. Japonocoptis	Sect. Japonocoptis
	C. quinquefolia, C. trifoliolata	C. morii, C. quinquefolia, C. ramosa, C. trifoliolata
Sect. Chrysocoptis	Sect. Chrysocoptis	Sect. Chrysocoptis
C. occidentalis	C. japonica	2 species in Japan (C. japonica, C. lutescens), 5 in Mainland China (C. chinensis, C. deltoidea, C. omeiensis, C. quinquesecta, C. teeta), and 3 in North America (C. aspleniifolia, C. laciniata, C. occidentalis)
Sect. Pterophyllum	–
C. asplenifolia

1 = Torrey and Gray included only taxa from North America [29].

2 = Satake included only taxa from Japan [30].