DNA-FINGERPRINTING STUDY ON THE INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION AND THE ORIGIN OF PRUNUS-YEDOENSIS (SOMEIYOSHINO)

In order to investigate the intraspecific variation of Prunus yedoensi s (Someiyoshino) and interspecific relationship among P. yedoensis, P. lannesiana (Oshimazakura) and P. pendula (Edohigan), DNA fingerprinti ng study was conducted by using two different kinds of probes, M13 rep eat sequence and (GACA)(4) synthetic oligonucleotide. In this study, 6 8 plants of P. yedoensis grown in 46 prefectures in Japan were investi gated. All the P. yedoensis individuals investigated showed the comple tely same banding pattern, indicating their clonal origin from a singl e plant. On the other hand, each of P. lannesiana and P. pendula indiv iduals investigated showed a unique banding pattern, suggesting a cons iderable amount of genetic variation in these two species. About 90% o f bands in DNA fingerprints of P. yedoensis were detected in either P. lannesiana or P. pendula. This result supports the hypothesis that P. yedoensis is an interspecific hybrid between P. lannesiana and P. pen dula. From those results, it is concluded that P. yedoensis was produc ed only once through hybridization between P. lannesiana and P. pendul a, and that this particular hybrid plant has been spread vegetatively all over Japan.