Objective To study the potential distribution area of a new species of Coptis huanjiangensis in China;To provide a basis for the rational development of new species resources protection policy,promoting the stable development of Coptidis Rhizoma species diversity and regional division of exploitation and utilization.Methods The distribution points of Coptis chinensis and Coptis chinensis var.brevisepala were identified and screened through resource census and online database.Based on the hypothesis of"the relatives in the same domain may have similar habitability characteristics",the maximum entropy model was used to obtain the distribution probability≥0.5 of Coptis chinensis and Coptis chinensis var.brevisepala respectively.ArcGIS software was used to obtain the areas with similar ecological environment characteristics to the sampling points of Coptis huanjiangensis.The spatial superposition was carried out with the distribution probability≥0.5 of Coptis chinensis and Coptis chinensis var.brevisepala.Results The potential distribution regions of Coptis chinensis and Coptis chinensis var.brevisepala with distribution probability≥0.5 were respectively normalized and then spatially superimposed,including the central of Sichuan Province,Hunan Province,Jiangxi Province,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,Fujian Province,Zhejiang Province,and the south of Anhui Province.Influenced by precipitation,temperature,sunshine duration,soil composition,topography,vegetation types and cold index,the potential distribution area of Coptis huanjiangensis was primarily located in the northern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and a small portion of southeastern Guizhou Province.After normalization and binarization treatment,the 25 continuous variables of Coptis huanjiangensis were overlaid with the distribution probability≥0.5 of the related species Coptis chinensis and Coptis chinensis var.brevisepala after respectively normalization treatment,primarily lied along the border between Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province.Conclusion The potential distribution area of Coptis huanjiangensis is located at the border of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province,which can provide references for the study of Coptids Rhizoma species diversity.