Abstract: OBJECTIVE To expound the concept of legal medicinal plants, and outline its contents and scope, and clarify the significance of the concept of legal medicinal plants. METHODS Query all editions of pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, the state standards, local standards of our country and foreign pharmacopoeia in which were recorded the traditional medicines, plant medicines or natural medicines, which were originated form plants. The whole picture of plant from which all above medicines were originated was sumed up. The background and historical origin of the concept of legal medicinal plants were analyzed and colligated. RESULTS There was a long history for state pharmacopoeia to collect traditional Chinese medicines from plants in China. Up to now, the total number of legal medicinal plants of China was 2 965, including fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Foreign pharmacopoeia have also collected a considerable amount of legal medicinal plants. CONCLOSION The concept of legal medicinal plants is consistent with both the social trends in which the legal system is becoming more healthy, and growing trend of the traditional medicines, plant medicines and natural medicines. The concept of legal medicinal plant has far-reaching significance. It lays the foundation for the further cultivation, research and utilization of legal medicinal plants.