Abstract: The light responses of photosynthesis of two-year-old Distylium chinense seedlings subjected to a simulated reservoir flooding environment in autumn and winter seasons were measured by using a Li6400 XT portable photosynthesis system, and the light response curves were fitted and analyzed by three models of the rectangular hyperbola, nonrectangular hyperbola and modified rectangular hyperbola to investigate the applicability of different light response models for the D. chinense in different flooding durations and the adaption regulation of light response parameters to flooding stress. The results showed that the fitting effect of the nonrectangular hyperbola model for light response process of D. chinense under normal growth condition and under shortterm flooding (15 days of flooding) was better than that of the other two models, while the fitting effect of the modified rectangular hyperbola model for light response process of D. chinense under longerterm flooding (30, 45 and 60 days of flooding) was better than that of the other two models. The modified rectangular hyperbola model gave the best fitted results of light compensation point (LCP), maximum net photosynthetic rate (P_n_max) and light saturation point (LSP), and the nonrectangular hyperbola model gave the best fitted result of dark respiration rate (R_d). The apparent quantum yield (Φ), P_n_max and LSP of D. chinense gradually decreased, and the LCP and R_d of D. chinense gradually increased in early flooding (30 days), but D. chinense gradually produced adaptability for flooding as the flooding duration continued to increase, and various physiological indexes were gradually stabilized. Thus, this species has adaptability to some degree to the flooding environment.