Abstract: In order to exploit the evolution of genes of apricot native to China, the frequency distribution
of several biological characters of apricot in different eco-geographical groups (North China, Central Asia,
Dzhungar - Zailij) native to China were analyzed in the study. In general, self-incompatibility was a common
character for the three eco-geographical groups with averages less than 2.0% and the percentages of self
incompatible cultivarsmore than 90%. Therefore, a few self-compatible germp lasmswere found, too. Higher
sterile flower rate of 40% was observed in all eco-geographical groups with a higher coefficient variance of
50%. For a certain cultivar or form, the trait was relatively stable. Glabrous-fruited cultivars were only ob
served in Central Asian eco-geographical group with a higher percentage of 76.6%. In other two group s, the cultivars or forms were all identified as rough skin-fruit. The largest fruit size (with an average of 51.4 g) was
a predominate trait in North China group compared with those of Central Asian group (23.2 g) and Dzhungar
- Zailij group (8.2 g). In the three groups, the rate of freestone-fruited cultivars or forms was remarkably
higher than those of clingstone. The frequencies of freestone were different among the group swith the highest
frequency of 94.6% in Dzhungar - Zailij group and the lowest frequency of 58.8% in North China group. The
highest value of the total soluble solid wasmeasured in Central Asia group (18.5% ). The total soluble solid
was greatly affected by environmental factors indicating itwas an classical quantitative trait. For cultivars from
North China, the valuesmeasured from Shandong (13.1%) and Xinjiang (16.1% ) were different very sig
nificantly ( F = 42.361, P < 0.01). The highest rate of sweet kernel (93.1% ) was observed in the Central
Asian eco-geographical group compared to Ili wild population ( 0.9% ) and North China group ( 44.4% ).
The effect of artificial selection and natural selection on the origin and evolution of the characterswas also dis
cussed.