Variation in Fruit Morphology and Seed Oil Fatty Acid Composition of Camellia oleifera Collected from Diverse Regions in Southern China

Camellia oleifera is an important woody edible oil crop in China with high ecological and economical values. It a traditional oilseed levels of desirable fatty acids. The fruits C. were harvested from 18 geographic provenances southern China. In this paper, we analyzed the key environmental factors diverse that caused variation fruit morphology acid composition (FAC). Our study indicated average coefficient width (FW) 18.63%, 15.81% for length (FL). most abundant acids (FA) oleic (C18:1; 70.21–85.23%), followed by palmitic (C16:0; 6.93–13.89%) linoleic (C18:2; 5.02–14.26%). addition, had negative correlation equivalent latitude (ELAT) positive annual mean air temperature (MAT). length-to-width ratio level ELAT but MAT, precipitation (AP), wettest quarter (PWQ). A was observed between AP, PWQ acid. Meanwhile, found longitude (LON), maximum warmest month (MTW), cluster analysis six groups selected populations. results showed influential FAC are MAT.