Prunus mongolica (Rosaceae subfamily Prunoideae) is a perennial desert xeric shrub native to the Mongolian Plateau. It is an ancient relict plant that mainly grows in extreme environments, such as on low mountains and hills, on stony slopes, and in dry beds in the desert and desert steppe regions. P. mongolica has distinct xeromorphic adaptations, such as hard shoot spines at the ends of the branchlets. P. mongolica is an important woody oil crop with a high oil content in the seed kernel, and oil extracted from the seed kernel can be eaten. In addition, because of its long flowering period (a single flower can last eight days, and a community flowers for 50 days) , flamboyant flowers, and extreme tolerance to harsh conditions, P. mongolica can be used as garden plant in the northwest of China. Zhao Yizhi proposed that P. mongolica is an Alax desert species that is mainly distributed in the Alax desert regions of the Mongolian Plateau, although scattered populations can be found in the southwest regions of the eastern Gobi Desert. Because the shrubs are limited by environmental conditions, P. mongolica cannot form large desert populations; it is only found scattered in the mountains and gullies. Such habitat fragmentation may influence the genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of the species. In recent years, a number of researchers have studied the geographic distribution, physiological and ecological characteristics, tissue culture, flower morphology, and insect pollinators of P. mongolica. However, no studies on the genetic diversity of its populations have yet been reported. The fragmented distribution could cause genetic differences among individuals or populations. Our field observations of P. mongolica in different areas of western Inner Mongolia

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