ALLOZYME ANALYSIS OF INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CULTIVAR IDENTIFICATION IN ERIOBOTRYA

In the present study, 120 accessions from 4 species including Eriobotrya japonica Lindl., E. prinoides Rehd et Wils., E. serrata Vidal., E. dayaoshanensis Chen. and one variant of E. prinoides var. daduheensis H.Z. Zhang were analyzed by isoelectric focus in thin-layer polyacrylamide slab gels. Twenty-two loci from 11 enzyme systems were studied. The cluster analysis performed with NTSYS software showed that all accessions in E. japonica were located in the same cluster, which was then joined by E. prinoides var. daduheensis. E. prinoides was clustered with E. serrata firstly and then joined E. japonica and E. prinoides var. daduheensis. While, the autumn and winter flowering accessions were clustered together and then joined by the spring flowering accessions of E. dayaoshanensis. The results revealed that E. prinoides var. daduheensis was a relatively independent population that was phylogenetically located between E. japonica and E. prinoides, which linked E. japonica with other species in Eriobotrya. The results supported the simple classification system of Chinese Eriobotrya plants proposed by H.Z. Zhang. The 120 accessions could be distinguished by 11 enzyme systems, providing molecular evidences for loquat taxonomy and cultivar identification. The main good-quality cultivars could be differentiated from the others with their distinct zymograms.