Seed morphological trait variation of Zelkova schneideriana from different provenances

The variation patterns of four seed morphologic characters were studied by using Zelkova schneideriana Hand-Mazz. seeds as the tested materials, which were from 15 provenances of four provinces in natural distribution. The results show as follows:(1) Highly significant differences were found among different provenances in seed length, width, ratio of length to width, and 1000-grainweight, and theirs heritability were 0.901 8, 0.921 0, 0.922 1 and 0.900 8 at the provenance level, and 0.926 0, 0.979 2, 0.932 6 and 0.9925 at the individual level, respectively; this indicated that in these seed morphologic traits there were abundant genetic variation, and were controlled by moderate-higher genetic control.(2) There were highly significant correlation among seed length, seed width and 1000-grain-weight, and these seed morphologic traits demonstrated no obvious longitude or latitude variation tendency, the seed length was mainly affected by annual average temperature and frostless days, the seed width was affected by average temperature in January, While 1000-grain-weight was affected by annual average temperature.(3) Cluster analysis suggested that the geographic variation of seed morphologic traits of some distribution zones of Z. schneideriana represented regional block variation pattern, while the others showed random variation pattern.