Concise cover letter
Cerasus serrulata (Rosaceae) is an important flowering cherry resource. It is almost the most widely distributed cherry in China. The study of phylogeography on C. serrulata can bring insights into the spatio-temporal evolutionary pattern of the genus Cerasus . Furthermore, its spreading pattern covers the main subtropical and temperate China in eastern Asia, and also occupies the majority of Sino-Japanese forest subkingdom, making C. serrulata valuable in providing clues to the evolutionary history of these regions. As forC. serrulta itself, it harbors a great deal of morphological variations, especially in ornamental traits. Phylogeographic study can reveal the spatio-temporal evolutionary pattern, help us understand the current differentiation level of different geographic populations and how the diversification was formed. Besides, it can also recognize the genetic diversity and structure of C. serrulta to help us better comprehend the condition of this important resource so as to make much more effective utilization such as to breed new flowering cherry cultivars.