Abstract: RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) marker was used to detect clonal structure and diversity of Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. sinensis in eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China and analyze the possibility relationships between clonal diversity and its influencing effects. Our objectives were to examine the adaptive strategies of alpine plants to varied environments and establish a foundation for understanding reproduction and distribution of clonal plants. We selected 14 random primers for amplification and found average 55.75 repetitive loci with average 15.13 polymorphic loci (total average percentage of polymorphic loci was 27.64%). We differentiated 26 RAPD genotypes or clones among the 184 plants sampled, which formed 89 ramets by clonal growth. Features of size and shape of H. rhamnoides were small with only 3.4 ramets per gemets and 1.75 m between neighbouring ramets on average. Mean Simpson’s index was 0.85, and average E was 0.87, slightly lower than the plants which application of DNA molecular markers. Therefore, the H. rhamnoides populations growing in eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have high capability of clonal growth. The formations of H. rhamnoides are guerill type and expand based on some dominant genets in populations, these distribution pattern increase the adaptation ability to the altiplano environment. The colonisation time, habitats and community composition have to a certain degree affected the clonal diversity of H. rhamnoides populations.