Concise cover letter
Cerasus serrulata (Rosaceae) is an important flowering cherry
resource. It is almost the most widely distributed cherry in China. The
study of phylogeography on C. serrulata can bring insights into
the spatio-temporal evolutionary pattern of the genus Cerasus .
Furthermore, its spreading pattern covers the main subtropical and
temperate China in eastern Asia, and also occupies the majority of
Sino-Japanese forest subkingdom, making C. serrulata valuable in
providing clues to the evolutionary history of these regions. As forC. serrulta itself, it harbors a great deal of morphological
variations, especially in ornamental traits. Phylogeographic study can
reveal the spatio-temporal evolutionary pattern, help us understand the
current differentiation level of different geographic populations and
how the diversification was formed. Besides, it can also recognize the
genetic diversity and structure of C. serrulta to help us better
comprehend the condition of this important resource so as to make much
more effective utilization such as to breed new flowering cherry
cultivars.