Abstract: A 1 230 bp full-length cDNA of SPL8 gene was isolated from Betula platyphylla Suk. using RACE(rapid amplification of cDNA ends)and RT-PCR(reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). SPL8 gene contains an open reading frame of 930 bp which encodes 309 amino acid with the deduced molecular mass around 34.32 ku and the theoretical isoelectric point of 9.08.The gene was named BplSPL8 and submitted to GenBank with accession number JQ354964.The homology of amino acid compared with Arabidopsis thaliana AtSPL8, Glycine max GmSPL8, Solanum chacoense ScSPL8 and Vitis vinifera VvSPL8 was 55.4%,73.1%,63.9% and 70.8%, respectively. The qRT-PCR result showed that BplSPL8 is expressed in all different tissues, the expression was the highest in the male inflorescences, whereas lowest in the seed and pollen. The expression level changed at different development stages in the male inflorescences. In addition, the expression levels of BplSPL8 in mutant was below that in wild-type in all different tissues, which suggests that BplSPL8 may play an important role on the development’s specific stage of the male inflorescences in the Betula and its abnormal expression may be associated with male sterility.