Abstract
Astragalus exscapus L. subsp. transsilvanicus (Schur) Nyár. (Fabaceae) is a rare plant endemic to the Transylvanian Plateau, represented by 24 identified populations. Limited information on the genetic variation and population structure is available, which obstructs efficient measures for conservation strategy. The present study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure of eight populations of A. exscapus subsp. transsilvanicus revealed by sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. A total of 164 bands were amplified, 96.7% of which (159) were polymorphic. Nei’s gene diversity index (He) was estimated to be 0.228 at the population level and 0.272 at the subspecies level. The genetic differentiation among populations (Gst) was 0.165, which indicated a low proportion of total genetic diversity. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that 17% of the total variation of A. exscapus subsp. transsilvanicus is found among the populations, while 83% was found within the populations. A UPGMA dendrogram, principal coordinate analysis, and the STRUCTURE software grouped the populations into two clusters uncorrelated with the provenience of the 125 individuals, which might be attributed to fragmentation processes, insect pollination, population size, and specific environmental conditions of the habitats.
Highlights
Stemless milkvetch (Astragalus exscapus L.) is a perennial herb native to dry grasslands of Central Europe
An important finding of this study was the wide variation of the average number of flowers in inflorescence within populations, Plants 2021, 10, 2732 with a minimum mean value recorded for individuals from Gădălin (22.3 ± 16.4) and the maximum value recorded for individuals from Săbed (76.8 ± 60.0)
The primer average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.34, with values ranging between 0.23 for Me2/Em6 and 0.48 for Me4/Em4 (Table 2). These results show that the selected sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were able to assess the genetic relationships among Astragalus exscapus subsp. transsilvanicus samples collected from eight populations located on the Transylvanian Plateau
Summary
Stemless milkvetch (Astragalus exscapus L.) is a perennial herb native to dry grasslands of Central Europe. It has small populations and a relatively high habitat specificity; it is framed a special rarity type according to Rabinowitz [1]. According to the Red List of endangered plant species from the Carpathians, A. exscapus demands sustainable conservation strategies to overcome the risk of extinction [4]. The endangered butterfly species Plebejus sephirus Kovacsi Szabo (Hungarian Zephyr Blue) is closely linked to the ecology of A. exscapus, given that it constitutes the predominant food-plant of the butterfly’s larval stage [5]
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