Genetic Relationships among Prunus mume var. pendula Using AFLP Markers

Genetic relationships among Prunus mume var. pendula were studied by using AFLP markers. 18 accessions representing 14 cultivars of Prunus mume var. pendula were selected from the germplasm collection at the Research Center of China Mei Flower. Seven Mse I-EcoR I AFLP primer combinations revealed 450 legible bands, and 269 of which were polymorphic markers. A similarity matrix was prepared using the simple matching coefficient of similarity and Nei's (72) distance coefficient. A UPGMA dendrogram demonstrated the genetic relationships of the cultivars. The information given by AFLP markers was basically consistent with the morphological classification and the evolutionary history of the morphotypes, and roughly supported the new revised classification system for Chinese Mei Cultivars. But there were still several exceptions: 1) the ‘Guhong Chuizhi’ inserted between the ‘Tiaoxue Chuizhi’ and the ‘Danfen Chuizhi’; 2) the ‘Wufu Chuizhi’ kept off the Pink Pendant Form, and the ‘Moshan Chuizhi’ was removed from Viridiflora Pendant Form; 3) the ‘Danbi Chuizhi’ and the ‘Shuangbi Chuizhi’ of Viridiflora Pendant Form got together well but fell within the Pink Pendant Form.