Abstract: The genetic relationships of the individual plants among the “Rucheng Baimao Cha” population were studied with the RAPD method. The results were as follows: The maximum number of PCR bands of the individual plants among the “Rucheng Baimao Cha” population was 13,and the minimum number was 10. The maximum DNA polymorphism amplified by RAPD-PCR was 92.31%, while the minimum was 70.00%; the average was 85.40%. This result showed the abundant genetic diversities. The maximum genetic distances among individual plants of the “Rucheng Baimao Cha” population was 0.5791; the minimum one was 0.0882. The result from the DNA molecular dendrogram showed that the variation among individual plants of“Rucheng Baimao Cha” population was continuous. The cluster analysis by UPGMA showed that the “Rucheng Baimao Cha”population could be divided into 6 groups. This result matched the morphologic characteristics of the population. From the DNA molecular dendrogram it was showed that the key germplasm groups were protected in the Rucheng Baimao Cha Demonstration Farm in Rucheng county, Hunan province, P. R. China.

Key words: Tea science, Rucheng Baimao Cha(Camellia pubescens), RADP, Genetic relationshipson, Resource protection