Dissertation Research: Systematics of Prunus subgenus Amygdalus L. (ROSACEAE)

杏仁（Prunus dulcis）和桃子（Prunus persica）是蔷薇科（蔷薇科）扁桃亚属（Amygdalus L.）的两种重要的经济水果作物。Amygdalus L.是一个约有33种的类群，关于其分类的争论仍然存在，有必要更新系统的处理方法来解决这些争议。本项目旨在阐明扁桃亚属（Prunus subgenus Amygdalus）的进化关系；对该类群进行分类处理，包括种缘、鉴定键、分布图、插图和生态注释；确定扁桃地方品种的近缘野生亲缘。这项工作将产生许多积极的影响。植物育种家可以利用这些结果作为一个框架，来解决驯化和栽培杏仁的起源等令人困惑的问题，并更好地了解杏仁和桃子未来育种计划中极其有限的基因库。保护生物学家可以使用分类学方法来做出明智的决定，决定保护什么物种，在哪里保护。该处理方法将为生态学家和自然资源保护主义者提供一个确定物种的实用指南，为他们提供基于可在实地识别的特征的钥匙和清单，以及地理和生态信息，这将有助于世界农业生物多样性的总体记录。由于杏仁和桃子在世界各地的经济重要性，公众也会对这项工作的结果感兴趣。

Dissertation Research: Systematics of Prunus subgenus Amygdalus L. (ROSACEAE)Almonds (Prunus dulcis) and peaches (Prunus persica), two economically important fruit crops, are members of Prunus subgenus Amygdalus L., in the Rose family (Rosaceae). Controversy over the classification of Amygdalus L., a group of about 33 species, still exists and an updated systematic treatment is necessary to resolve these controversies. The objectives of this project are to 1) elucidate evolutionary relationships within Prunus subgenus Amygdalus, 2) produce taxonomic treatment of this group, including species circumscriptions, identification keys, distribution maps, illustrations and ecological notes and 3) Identify closest wild relatives of almond landraces.This work will have numerous positive impacts. Plant breeders can use the results as a framework to resolve puzzling questions of domestication and the origin of cultivated almonds and to better understand the extremely limited gene pool that is available for future breeding programs of both almonds and peaches. Conservation biologists can use the taxonomic treatment to make informed decisions about what species to conserve and where. The treatment will provide ecologists and conservationists with a practical guide to identify species by providing them with keys and checklists based on features that can be recognized in the field, and with geographical and ecological information, which would contribute to the overall documentation of world agro-biodiversity. Because of the economic importance of both almonds and peaches throughout the world, the general public will also be interested in the results of this work.