Domestication history reveals multiple genetic improvements of Chinese bayberry cultivars

Dear Editor, The Chinese bayberry(Morelia rubra Lour.,2n=2x=16)is an evergreen fruit tree native to southern China and the only domesticated species in family Myricaceae[1].Today M.rubra is widely cultivated in subtropical regions of China and has become an economically important fresh fruit with＞300 varieties and an annual production of 1.5 million tons[2,3].The aim of the current study was to reveal the domestication history of M.rubra using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing(RAD-seq)data.Seventy-eight individuals were sampled,including 44 landraces and improved cultivated varieties,19 wild individuals from the natural distribution ranges in southern China,14 from five other Morella species,and 1 from Comptonia.