The origin and domestication of modern cultivated Chrysanthemum × morifolium.

Six haplotypes of the hexaploid chrysanthemum cultivar 'Jinba' reveal complex domestication involving extensive gene flow from Chinese and Japanese wild germplasms.

• Why it matters: Understanding the origin and domestication of Chrysanthemum × morifolium is vital for improving breeding strategies and conserving genetic diversity in this economically important ornamental plant.
• What they did: Researchers constructed a genome-wide variant map from 147 accessions, classified varieties into wild and cultivated groups, and traced global dispersal patterns, confirming C. indicum as a key ancestor.
• The result: The findings illuminate chrysanthemum's evolutionary history and identify candidate genes linked to traits like plant architecture and flower color, enabling targeted molecular breeding.