Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 3.08

USE OF RAPD MARKERS FOR THE GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF LIMONIUM WILD SPECIES

S. BRUNA*, G. BURCHI**, L. DE BENEDETTI*, A. MERCURI*, N. PECCHIONI***, C. AGRIMONTI****, T. SCHIVA*

*) Istituto Sperimentale per la Floricoltura, Corso degli Inglesi 508, 18038 Sanremo (IM), Italy

**) Istituto Sperimentale per la Floricoltura,Via dei Fiori 8, I-51012 Pescia (PT), Italy

***) Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Fiorenzuola d'Arda-Via San Protaso 302, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d'Arda (PC), Italy

****) Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali. Università di Parma, Italy

Limonium, RAPD markers, genetic similarity

The genus Limonium (fam. Plumbaginaceae) consists of about 300 species of mostly herbaceous perennials, some low shrubs, and annuals, natives chiefly of salt marshes, sea cliffs, semidesert and desert regions. Limonium is grown in many regions of the world for cut flower production for both fresh and dry-flower arrangements.

RAPD analysis was used for the study of genetic relationships in Limonium. Thirteen wild species were tested with 10 primers. A total of 244 bands were scored and used for the analysis of genetic distances. The dendrogram obtained from cluster analysis showed an high similarity among three species that some authors report as synonymous and that in our phenotypic observations appeared very similar. In order to clarify the genetic relationships, further analyses were carried out on several genotypes belonging to the three species: L. caspia (12 accessions), L. otolepis (12 accessions), L. bellidifolium (8 accessions). In the dendrogram, obtained after screening RAPD bands, the genotypes belonging to each species appear to be grouped in three main clusters. AMOVA analysis showed that the percentage of variation within species (88,32%) is higher than variation between species (11,68%). Results are discussed.

The application of RAPD analysis in our case was thus an useful tool to clarify the taxonomy of the three Limonium species, in a plant genus that is notably of difficult interpretation