耧斗菜属因其形态特征多样化、生境适应性广，是研究适应辐射进化的理想材料。研究表明北美和欧洲分布的耧斗菜属植物表现出相对立的物种形成和分化模式。花距是该属进化历程中的关键革新性状，花距的变异产生了物种间的生殖隔离，导致了物种形成和快速辐射。亚洲分布的耧斗菜属种数与北美或欧洲的相当，但关于物种形成和分化尚不清楚。无距耧斗菜（A. ecalcarata Maxim.）为我国特有种，是属内唯一无花距的种类，其系统位置存在争议。本项目以无距耧斗菜为研究对象，在野外观察不同居群的花部特征与传粉昆虫的适应性；利用简单重复序列（SSR）分子标记揭示居群遗传多样性和遗传结构；利用核基因和叶绿体基因片段重建地理居群谱系树，综合探讨无距耧斗菜的物种分化及适应性进化机制。本项目的实施将为阐述国产耧斗菜属的物种形成和进化的自然遗传机制奠定基础，也为全面理解整个耧斗菜属植物的起源与演化提供资料。

The genus Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) has been a model system for investigating a wide range of questions relating to the evolution and ecology, due to its phenotypic diversity, habitat range. In Aquilegia, two contrasting, recent radiations have occurred simultaneously in North America and Europe, after the colonization by an Asian ancestor, and both have given rise to about the same number of species (Bastida et al. 2010). In North America, the diversification of the Aquilegia groups has been associated with floral adaptation to different pollinators and recent speciation events may have occurred in sympatry. In Europe, the Aquilegia groups have diverged in response to adaptation to different habitats and recent speciation events may have occurred in allopatry. The elongated petals that form a nectar spur in Aquilegia is a key evolutionary innovation and leads to a recent and rapid radiation. The same number species of Aquilegia occurred in Asia. But we still unknow the evolutionary pattern in Asian lineage. There is an interesting Aquilegia species in Asian, which has no spur. This species is A. ecalcarata, only spurless species in Aquilegia, and it is endemic to China. Because of spurless condition of A. ecalcarata, its systematic position and speciation is confusing. In this research project, we will find out the evolutionary adaptation pattern of A. ecalcarata based on pollination, genetic diversity, and phylogeography. We will compare variation of floral characteristics and observe pollinator among populations of A. ecalcarata and among sympatric species of Aquilegia with A. ecalcarata in order to find out the relationship between floral characteristics and pollinators in different ecological habitat. We will estimate the genetic diversity and genetic structure in most populations of A. ecalcarata in China, using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) in order to find out how they response to adaptation to different habitats. To determine the speciation and divergence pattern of A. ecalcarate, we will use a phylogeographic analysis of most populations across its geographic ranges, using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence, four low-copy nuclear genes, and some chloroplast (cp) DNA fragments. This project will illustrate the speciation and divergence of Asian Aquilegia, and will give a complement for theories of Aquilegia speciation and adaptation.