Genetic variation of a relict maple Acer miyabei: Uncovering its history of disjunct occurrence and the role of mountain refugia in shaping genetic diversity.

Genetic clustering of A. miyabei is not perfectly congruent with the current patterns of geographic distribution. We infer that disjunction of the two southern groups occurred more recently than that between these groups and the northern group. Mountainous landscape in the most southern region likely provided multiple refugia and contributed to the retention of distinctive genetic variation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.