Genetic Diversity of Primula ovalifolia from Central and Southwest China Based on ISSR Markers

Abstract

Primula ovalifolia Franchet (Primulaceae) is mainly distributed in a band through central China to southwest China and grows in moist shady places with the altitude between 1200 - 2500 m. Eighty-five individuals from five natural populations in Hubei (central) and Sichuan (southwest) China were sampled. The inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) produced 207 polymorphic band loci and identified 85 ISSR genotypes. The results obtained from calculation of Shannon’s index and Nei’s gene diversity shows that there is no difference of genetic diversity between the three populations in southwest China and two populations in central China. The UPGMA clustering analysis also shows that there is no distinct genetic differentiation between the natural populations in central and southwest China.