花瓣的保护和机械支撑功能在植物生殖过程中具有重要作用，但机制不详。我们的前期研究发现在山茶科植物的花瓣中存在由石细胞组成的特殊结构，解剖学和生态学证据表明该结构具有机械支撑功能，为此我们提出了花瓣机械系统的概念。然而，该系统的作用机制则超越了传统生物学研究的范畴。在本研究中我们把结构力学的概念引入花形态发生，通过有限元受力分析的方法重建该结构在花部器官中的三维立体力学模型，以阐述该结构运作的物理学机制。此外，本研究进一步构建山茶科植物代表物种的系统发育关系，在此基础上揭示该力学结构模型是如何与山茶科植物不同花部结构的演化相适应的。本研究是生物力学与进化生物学的结合，这种探索会提供新的信息，从而更好提升人们认识花结构精确适应环境的多样化机制。

Corolla plays an important role as protectional and mechanical organ in plant reproduction, however its mechanism is still little known to us. In the recently published work, we have found and named a mechanical system in the corolla of Camellia plants. Anatomical and ecological investigations indicated that this structure was highly mechanical related. However, how this structure works is still unclear. In this study we will introduce structural mechanics method into floral morphogenesis studies. The stress distribution imposed on the corolla will be analyzed using finite element method, and the biomechanical model of 3D structure in corolla organ will be established to elucidate the working mechanism. Furthermore, we will reconstructure the phylogeny of Theaceae to explore how this biomechanical model adapt to different patterns of floral organ in the evolution history of Theaceae. The integratation of biomechanics and evolutionary biology in this study will provide new insights into the study of flower diversity, and thus will significantly improved our understanding of the adaptive evolution of plant structure and function.