Comparison of Mating Systems in Populations of Gleditsia japonica var. koraiensis

The mating systems of two groups of natural populations of Gleditsia japonica var. koraiensis in Korea were determined using allozyme analysis. The result suggests that G. japonica var. koraiensis is predominantly outcrossing. The tm values of eight populations in Korea varied from 0.667 (Mdh-1) to 0.938 (ldh-1), giving an average 0.820. Population and individual outcrossing estimates were associated with flowering tree density or degree of spatial isolation. The reason for relatively low outcrossing rates of some populations could be attributed to reduction of effective population sizes of sib for the medicine, small population size, and isolation of flowering mature trees. The heterozygote excesses were observed in some natural populations, whereas other populations exhibited varying degrees of inbreeding and heterozygotes deficit. Thus, selection against homozygotes operated in the progeny populations throughout the life cycle.