Lycium Species Research Articles

Nuclear genome size estimation and karyotype analysis of Lycium species (Solanaceae)

Dry fruits of wolfberries (Lycium barbarum L.) are widely used as functional food in Southeast Asia. Recently it is popular in the emerging market such as North America and Europe because of its health-promoting properties, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective. It is a great potential to develop it into a novel functional fresh fruit in the near future. However, basic genetic studies on the nuclear DNA content and karyotype of many Lycium species are not available and might hinder the breeding of novel wolfberry cultivars. The main objective of this study is to estimate the nuclear genome size and karyotype analysis of three Chinese species (L. barbarum, L. chinense and L. ruthenicum) and two species from North America (L. pallidum and L. fremontii). Flow cytometry using woody plant buffer (WPB) indicated that the 2C DNA content of species varied from 4.35pg (L. barbarum) to 14.94pg (L. fremontii). The genome size variation of two widely cultivated species in China L. barbarum (4.35pg/2C) and L. chinense (6.44pg/2C) suggested different genomic component and structure. The genome size and chromosome counting confirmed that L. fremontii is octaploid (2n=96). Karyotype analysis indicated that all species shared a highly symmetrical karyotype, suggesting that speciation in Lycium was not accompanied by changes in chromosomal morphology. Our results provided useful information at the genome level of Lycium species.

Comparison of the photosynthetic characteristics of four Lycoris species with leaf appearing in autumn under field conditions.

The diurnal trends of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in four Lycoris species (L. houdyshelii, L. aurea, L. radiata var. pumila and L. albiflora) were determined and compared with a portable photosynthesis analysis system. Our study revealed that L. houdyshelii had the lowest light compensation point (LCP), while the other three species had higher LCP (12.37–14.99 μmol m−2 s−1); L. aurea had the highest light saturation point (LSP) (1,189 μmol m−2 s−1), and L. houdyshelii and L. albiflora had lower LSP with the values being 322 and 345 μmol m−2 s−1, respectively, and L. radiata var. pumila showed the intermediate LSP. Both the species L. houdyshelii and L. albiflora exhibited a typical and obvious decline in net photosynthetic rate (P N) during midday, which was not observed in L. aurea. This indicated a possible photoinhibition in L. houdyshelii and L. albiflora as the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) values were higher in these two species. The minimal fluorescence (F0) values were lower in L. aurea and L. radiata var. pumila. The diurnal changes of transpiration rate (E) in all four species presented only one peak, appearing between 11:00 h or 13:00 h. By using simple correlation analyses, it was observed that the environmental factors affecting P N were different among four species and the main factors were photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and relative humidity especially for L. aurea and L. radiata. The results of studying indicated that the four species could be divided into two groups. The species L. radiata var. pumila and L. aurea were more adapted to a relatively high irradiance, and L. houdyshelii and L. albiflora could be grown in moderate-shade environment in order to scale up their growth and productivity.

Extracts of Lycoris aurea induce apoptosis in murine sarcoma S180 cells.

Lycoris species have been known since long ago as a multi-utility ethnomedicinal herbal in China. It has been reported to exhibit a number of properties such as anticancer, neuroprotective, and antibacterial activities. In the present study, the anticancer efficacy of dichloromethane extracts of Lycoris aurea (DELA), was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro using murine sarcoma 180 cells. To evaluate the effects of DELA on apoptotic cell death, flow cytometry and Western blotting were performed. DELA demonstrated promising inhibition effects on sarcoma 180 cells in vitro and a 53.49% inhibitory rate on cancer cells in vivo. DELA treatment increased thymus indices and spleen indices in vivo, indicating that it reduced tumours, but did not damage the main immune organs. The DELA-evoked increase in apoptotic cell death was accompanied by occurrence of cleaved caspase-3 and decreases in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. Further purification and LCMS analysis showed DELA contained homolycorine, 2α-hydroxyoduline, oduline, hippeastrine, 2α-hydroxy-6-O- methyloduline, and 2α-methoxy-6-O-methyloduline. These results indicate that DELA exerted its anticancer effects, at least in part, by inducing cancer cell apoptosis and thus can be considered as a potential candidate agent for treatment of cancer.

Polymorphic microsatellite loci for the genetic analysis of Lycoris radiata (Amaryllidaceae) and cross-amplification in other congeneric species

Lycoris radiata is a perennial herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time and has two main medicinal components in its bulb, lycorine and galanthamine. However, the original microsatellite loci have not been developed for any species of Lycoris. Total genomic DNA was extracted from fresh bulbs using a modified CTAB protocol. We isolated 10 microsatellite loci from 21 L. radiata individuals of a natural population from Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province, China. The number of alleles ranged from two to nine. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.238 to 0.952 and from 0.455 to 0.784, respectively. One locus significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and no significant linkage disequilibrium was found between pairs of loci. Cross-species amplification of these microsatellite loci was characterized in additional five species (L. sprengeri, L. anhuiensis, L. albiflora, L. longituba, and L. chinensis) of Lycoris. The results suggest that these microsatellite markers would contribute to the population genetic studies of L. radiata and other related species.

Out of America to Africa or Asia: Inference of Dispersal Histories Using Nuclear and Plastid DNA and the S-RNase Self-incompatibility Locus

The plant genus Lycium (Solanaceae) originated in the Americas and includes approximately 85 species that are distributed worldwide. The vast majority of Old World species occur in southern Africa and eastern Asia. In this study, we examine biogeographic relationships among Old World species using a phylogenetic approach coupled with molecular evolutionary analyses of the S-RNase self-incompatibility gene. The phylogeny inferred from nuclear granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), nuclear conserved ortholog set II (COSII) marker C2_At1g24360, and plastid spacer data (trnH-pbsA, trnD(GUC)-trnT(GGU), rpl32-trnL(UAG), and ndhF-rpl32) includes a clade of eastern Asian Lycium nested within the African species, suggesting initial dispersal from the Americas to Africa, with subsequent dispersal to eastern Asia. Molecular dating estimates suggest that these dispersal events occurred relatively recently, with dispersal from the Americas to Africa approximately 3.64 Ma (95% highest posterior density [HPD]: 1.58-6.27), followed by subsequent dispersal to eastern Asia approximately 1.21 Ma (95% HPD: 0.32-2.42). In accordance, the S-RNase genealogy shows that S-RNases isolated from Old World species are restricted to four lineages, a subset of the 14 lineages including S-RNases isolated from New World Lycium species, supporting a bottleneck of S-RNase alleles concomitant with a single dispersal event from the Americas to the Old World. Furthermore, the S-RNase genealogy is also consistent with dispersal of Lycium from Africa to Asia, as eastern Asian alleles are restricted to a subset of the lineages that also include African alleles. Such a multilocus approach, including complementary data from GBSSI, COSII, plastid spacer regions, and S-RNase, is powerful for understanding dispersal histories of closely related species.

Distinction of eight Lycium species by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation IR spectroscopy

Eight species of Lycium fruits were differentiated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), second derivative IR spectra and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR). Their entire infrared spectra in the range of 4000–400 cm −1 were generally similar based on the peaks position and intensities. The findings indicated that the chemical constituents in these species of herbs were not distinctively different. However, variation in peak intensity were observed at about 2926, 2855, and 1745 cm −1 in the infrared spectra among these species for their easy differentiation. Much difference in their second derivative pattern among the eight species also provided information for easy differentiation. These species of Lycium fruits were further identified by their 2D-IR spectra. The findings provide a rapid and new operational procedure for the differentiation of different species of Lycium plants. The visual and colorful 2D-IR spectra can provide dynamic structural information of chemical components in analyte and demonstrated as a powerful and useful approach for the identification of herbs.

Karyotypes and fluorescent chromosome banding patterns in southern AfricanLycium(Solanaceae)

Abstract Chromosomal analyses of several southern African Lycium species resulted in diploid (2n = 24: L. amoenum, L. bosciifolium, L. ferocissimum, L. oxycarpum, L. tenue), tetraploid (2n = 48: L. gariepense, L. strandveldense, L. hantamense), and hexaploid (2n = 72: L. tetrandrum) counts. Chromosomes in all species were short (mean length = 2.00 μm; mean haploid genome length = 23.77 μm). Further, all species shared a highly symmetrical karyotype formula with 10 m pairs and 2 sm pairs, except L. bosciifolium with only one sm pair. The first m pair had a terminal microsatellite on the short arms. Fluorescent chromosome banding patterns with CMA/ DAPI staining in the diploid species showed NOR-associated heterochromatin in the first satellited pair. The tetraploids L. gariepense and L. hantamense had two chromosome pairs with a CMA+/DAPI−terminal band. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the southern African species are included in a monophyletic group including all Old World Lycium; these species are like...

Do Multiple Tortoises Equal a Hare? The Utility of Nine Noncoding Plastid Regions for Species-Level Phylogenetics in Tribe Lycieae (Solanaceae)

Abstract The identification of plastid DNA markers that provide sufficient phylogenetic resolution at the species and population levels is an important challenge for plant systematics. This is mainly due to the relatively slow rate of evolution of the plastid genome. In this study, we examine the utility of several plastid DNA regions for phylogenetic inference at low taxonomic levels in tribe Lycieae (Solanaceae). The regions employed here previously provided considerable numbers of potentially informative characters in investigations of sequence variation across the plastid genome, and one region (trnH-psbA) has been advocated for use in DNA barcoding. We sequenced nine noncoding plastid DNA regions (∼8,400 bp) for a diverse sample of Lycium species and Phrodus microphyllus (tribe Lycieae), as well as the outgroup Nolana, and included published sequences from the distant outgroup Atropa. The nine regions varied with regard to their phylogenetic utility, as measured by the numbers of variable and parsimo...

Variations in Ribosomal RNA Gene Loci in Spider Lily (Lycoris spp.)

Lycoris species of the Amaryllidaceae are important ornamental and medicinal plants in Asia. Karyotypes of Lycoris species have been studied extensively since the time when their chromosome numbers were first counted over 80 years ago. Based on karyotype, Lycoris taxa can be classified into the monomorphic A group, dimorphic MT group, and the sterile dikaryotype MT-A group. Numerous reports dealing with karyotype analysis and phylogenetic relationship in the genus Lycoris have been published. However, there are disputes and controversies regarding karyotype evolution resulting from lacking efficient and reliable markers for chromosome identification in the genus Lycoris. In this study, we applied fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to visualize the 5S and 45S rDNA loci on chromosomes as landmarks for chromosome identification in Lycoris taxa. In total, 12 accessions of three karyotype groups, including nine species and three artificial dikaryotype hybrids, were investigated. A high degree of variation in the number and position of 5S and 45S rDNA loci was detected among Lycoris taxa. There were four to 14 FISH signals of 5S rDNAs and two to 12 FISH signals of 45S rDNAs observed in each investigated Lycoris accession. Lycoris accessions with the same karyotype 2n = 22A may have different numbers of rDNA loci, which distributed at different chromosomal positions. In an interspecific hybrid, the number and chromosomal position of both 5S and 45S rDNA loci were either the combinations of those in their parental species or considerably modified. Overlapping FISH signals of 5S and 45S rDNAs were colocalized with a 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-positive band at the end of the p-arm on almost every T-type chromosome (but not the A-type chromosomes). Based on the features of T-type chromosomes, the possibility of centromeric fission in karyotypic evolution of Lycoris is discussed.

13: Lycoris sanguinea Maxim. (Amaryllidaceae)

AbstractThe life‐history characteristics of Lycoris sanguinea Maxim., a bulbous perennial of the Amaryllidaceae, are described here. Its geographical range is in the warm‐temperate to cool‐temperate zone of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan, extending further to the Korean Peninsula and China. Its growth form and seasonality are very unique, that is, the productive and reproductive phases are separate, which has been observed in other Lycoris species as well. In late March to mid‐April for approximately 2 months, only radical leaves appear above ground; these leaves wither and disappear in late April to early May when the canopy of the deciduous trees casts heavy shade on the ground layer; then, in mid‐ to late‐July when the forest floor becomes even darker, only scapes appear above ground, with two to six orange‐red flowers borne on the umbels, occasionally forming large clumps here and there on the forest floor. Lycoris sanguinea is a typical insect‐pollinated polycarpic perennial that is pollinated by small bees, such as Amegilla florae, and small butterflies, such as Thymelicus leoninus leoninus and Thymelicus sylvaticus sylvaticus. The seed output per plant is not very high, and 6–20 black spherical seeds, each approximately 6 mm in size, are produced.

Application of SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis to authenticate Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) and its adulterants

Fructus Lycii (Gouqizi) is well known in Chinese herbal medicine for its restorative function of benefiting the liver and kidney, replenishing vital essence and improving eyesight. However, ten species and varieties of Lycium have benn found to be substitutes or adulterants of Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) in commercial markets in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in China generally. L. barbarum cv. 'Tianjinense' and Lycium chinense var. potaninii are the most common examples. It is difficult to differentiate among the Lycium species by traditional morphological and histological analyses. An easy and reliable approach based on SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis was developed in the present study to differentiate L. barbarum from other Lycium species. Two characteristic bands of approx. 700 and 650 bp were detected on the RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) profiles generated from samples of L. barbarum and L. chinense var. potaninii using the primer OPC-7. They were isolated and sequenced. Two primer sets, based on the sequences, could amplify a single specific band in samples of L. barbarum respectively, whereas no bands were detected in samples of L. chinense var. potaninii. The results confirmed that the SCAR technique can be employed for authenticating L. barbarum and its adulterants.

A TALE OF TWO CONTINENTS: BAKER'S RULE AND THE MAINTENANCE OF SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY IN LYCIUM (SOLANACEAE)

Over 50 years ago, Baker (1955, 1967) suggested that self-compatible species were more likely than self-incompatible species to establish new populations on oceanic islands. His logic was straightforward and rested on the assumption that colonization was infrequent; thus, mate limitation favored the establishment of self-fertilizing individuals. In support of Baker's rule, many authors have documented high frequencies of self-compatibility on islands, and recent work has solidified the generality of Baker's ideas. The genus Lycium (Solanaceae) has ca. 80 species distributed worldwide, and phylogenetic studies suggest that Lycium originated in South America and dispersed to the Old World a single time. Previous analyses of the S-RNase gene, which controls the stylar component of self-incompatibility, have shown that gametophytically controlled self-incompatibility is ancestral within the genus, making Lycium a good model for investigating Baker's assertions concerning reproductive assurance following oceanic dispersal. Lycium is also useful for investigations of reproductive evolution, given that species vary both in sexual expression and the presence of self-incompatibility. A model for the evolution of gender dimorphism suggests that polyploidy breaks down self-incompatibility, leading to the evolution of gender dimorphism, which arises as an alternative outcrossing mechanism. There is a perfect association of dimorphic gender expression, polyploidy, and self-compatibility (vs. cosexuality, diploidy, and self-incompatibility) among North American Lycium. Although the association between ploidy level and gender expression also holds for African Lycium, to date no studies of mating systems have been initiated in Old World species. Here, using controlled pollinations, we document strong self-incompatibility in two cosexual, diploid species of African Lycium. Further, we sequence the S-RNase gene in 15 individuals from five cosexual, diploid species of African Lycium and recover 24 putative alleles. Genealogical analyses indicate reduced trans-generic diversity of S-RNases in the Old World compared to the New World. We suggest that genetic diversity at this locus was reduced as a result of a founder event, but, despite the bottleneck, self-incompatibility was maintained in the Old World. Maximum-likelihood analyses of codon substitution patterns indicate that positive Darwinian selection has been relatively strong in the Old World, suggesting the rediversification of S-RNases following a bottleneck. The present data thus provide a dramatic exception to Baker's rule, in addition to supporting a key assumption of the Miller and Venable (2000) model, namely that self-incompatibility is associated with diploidy and cosexuality.

Growth and Photosynthetic Responses of Three Lycoris Species to Levels of Irradiance

Lycoris species have appealing characteristics for potting plants, cut flowers, and landscaping decorations, including attractive foliage, which is very similar to that of cymbidium. Lycoris species have been extensively propagated and marketed in Asia. Understanding the response of Lycoris spp. to irradiance intensity will help the horticultural industry improve the production of potting plants of those species. We studied the responses of photosynthesis, growth, and biomass allocation of potted Lycoris spp. (L. chinensis, L. longituba, and L. sprengeri) bulbs grown under three levels of irradiance, i.e., 100%, 70%, and 30% full sunlight. We found that in terms of biomass production L. chinensis can be cultivated under all levels of irradiance studied from full to 30% sunlight. For L. longituba, high irradiance levels increased the rate of net photosynthesis. For both L. chinensis and L. longituba, the full sunlight treatment produced the most attractive plants characterized by shorter, wider, and darker green leaves, features that appeal to consumers. However, none of the growth traits of L. sprengeri were affected by the irradiance treatment over the entire experimental period. It can be concluded that potting plants of L. chinensis and L. longituba are best produced under full sunlight, whereas L. sprengeri can be produced under irradiance levels from 30% to full sunlight.

Lycoris 속의 RAPD 분석과 자생지 분포 및 개화특성에 따른 유연관계

본 연구에서는 RAPD 분석 기법과 자생지 분포와 개화특징을 이용한 유연관계를 분석하기 위하여 10종의 Lycoris 종을 선별하여 연구를 수행하였다. 10종의 상사화 종은 크게 두 군집으로 분류되었다. L. sprengeri와 L. incanata은 가장 높은 상동성을 보였으며, 같은 개화 시기와 분홍색의 화색을 가지고 있었다. 춘기출엽형은 L. squamigera, L. sanguinea, L. koreana, L. sprengeri 그리고 L. incanata이었으며, L. squamigera와 L. sanguinea는 같은 군집 안에서 높은 상동성을 보였다. 또한 L. koreana, L. sprengeri 그리고 L. sprengeri 그리고 L. incanata도 군집안에서 높은 상동성을 보였다. L. radiata, L. radiata var pumila, L. albiflora 그리고 L. traubii의 꽃은 spider형이며 이러한 종은 다른 종과의 유연관계가 매우 낮은 상동성을 보였다. Ten species of Lycoris was selected for establishment of phylogenetic relationships using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, the native distribution and flowering characterestics. On the basis of the dendrogram constructed with the similarity coefficients, 10 Lycoris species were divided into two clusters. L. sprengeri and L. incannta were showed very high similarity in the RAPD analysis, same flowering time and flower color as pink. The leaf of L. squamigera. L. sanguinea, L. koreana, L. sprengeri and L. incanata emergenced in spring. The L. squamigera and L. sanguinea were showed high similarity in same cluster. Also L. koreana, L. sprengeri and L. incanata were showed high similarity in same cluster. The flower of L. radiata, L. radiata var pumila, L. albiflora and L. traubii was spider. These species was showed very low similarity in another Lycoris species.

Phylogenetic Relationships and Possible Hybrid Origin of Lycoris Species (Amaryllidaceae) Revealed by ITS Sequences

To examine interspecific relationships and test the hypothesis of hybrid origin within Lycoris species, this study used data from parsimony analyses with nuclear ITS sequences for 19 taxa representing 14 species of Lycoris and two outgroup taxa. The ITS sequences resolved three infrageneric clades. One clade included L. chinensis, L. longituba, L. longituba var. flava, L. anhuiensis, and L. aurea; the second one consisted of L. sprengeri, L. radiata, L. radiata var. radiata, L. radiata var. pumila, L. haywardii, L. rosea, L. sanguinea var. sanguinea, and L. sanguinea var. koreana; and the third included L. caldwellii, L. straminea, L. albiflora, L. flavescens, and two hybrids. The results strongly support the hypothesis that L. straminea originated from hybridization between L. chinensis and L. radiata var. pumila, and the allotriploid L. caldwellii and L. albiflora derived from hybridization between L. chinensis and L. sprengeri. As nucleotide additivity was observed in the artificial hybrids and several presumed hybrids, the likelihood of hybrid origin of Lycoris species is supported.

Hurricane Lilies, Lycoris Species, in Florida

ENH-1036, a 3-page fact sheet by Gary W. Knox, describes the history and qualities of these bulbs that flower after heavy summer rains. Includes information on availability and descriptions of species that are widely available, and some less common species to look out for. Published by the UF Environmental Horticulture Department, May 2006. ENH1038/EP255: Hurricane Lilies, Lycoris Species, in Florida (ufl.edu)

Genetic variations in the chloroplast genome and phylogenetic clustering of Lycoris species

The genus Lycoris of Amaryllidaceae comprises approximately 20 species that are distributed only in the moist warm temperate woodlands of eastern Asia. The objectives of this study were: (1) to clarify the phylogeny of the Lycoris species by using the definitive DNA sequencing method and (2) to examine the possible maternal donor of the hybrid origin Lycoris species and the Japanese triploid strains of Lycoris radiata var. radiata. The nucleotide sequence of the maturase K (matK) gene and the noncoding intergenic spacer (IGS) between the atpB and rbcL genes in the chloroplast genome were determined in a total of 27 strains of 11 species of the genus Lycoris. Variation among taxa was mainly due to nucleotide substitution, although deletions and an insertion were found in the IGS. For two chloroplast regions, the phylogenetic trees showed essentially similar topology, indicating the existence of four clades, I, II, III, and IV. For all the species except L. radiata, intraspecific variation was smaller than interspecific variation. For L. radiata, triploid strains were divided into clades I and II, and diploid strains were divided into clades I and IV. This implies that the diploid species of L. radiata var. pumila is a probable ancestral species. The clustering indicated that the chloroplast genome has not evolved in parallel with the karyotype in genus Lycoris. Regarding the hybrid origin species, the maternal parents of L. squamigara, L. albiflora and L. rosea were revealed to be L. longituba, L. radiata and L. radiata var pumila, respectively. We also suggest that a diploid strain of L. radiata var. pumila in clade I might be a candidate of the maternal donor of the Japanese triploid strains. A possible model of the maternal donor of Lycoris species is proposed.

Studies on Speciation in Genus Lycoris Using Interspecific Hybrids and Selfed Plants Produced through Embryo Rescue

This study was carried out to overcome the problems that impede genetic improvement of Lycoris. An improved ovule culture method was developed to rescue the abortive embryo in order to overcome the poor fertility in hybridization of Lycoris. Using this method, a large number of selfed and crossed plants in several species were produced, and the interspecific hybrids which used L. incarnata (sterile) as a cross parent were obtained for the first time. Cytological studies of the S 1 plants indicated that polyploidization and aneuploid reduction caused by self-pollination should be among the major factors affecting karyotype evolution in some Lycoris species. Allozyme segregations in polymorphic loci of APT, GOT and EST were observed in S 1 of five diploid species, suggesting that each of the species is originally heterozygous. The investigation using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) was done to clarify the chromosome constitution in Lycoris. The distinction between M + T and A type chromosomes at the DNA sequence level demonstrated that genome differentiation has occurred in the genus Lycoris.

Quantification of Zeaxanthin Dipalmitate and Total Carotenoids in Lycium Fruits (Fructus Lycii)

An HPLC-DAD method has been developed to quantitatively analyze for the content of zeaxanthin dipalmitate, a major carotenoid in Fructus Lycii, in different species of the genus Lycium. Determination was performed using an Alltima C18 column with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and dichloromethane (42:58). The total contents of carotenoids in these samples were also determined by using UV spectrophotometric assay. Total carotenoid concentrations of different Fructus Lycii are within the range of 0.03-0.5%. Zeaxanthin dipalmitate is a predominant carotenoid, comprising 31-56% of the total carotenoids in Fructus Lycii. This study is the first systematic quantification of the carotenoids in the fruits of different Lycium species. The results demonstrated that these methods are reliable and facile techniques for rapid analysis of carotenoids for crude drug and plant-derived food supplements.

Assessing phylogenetic relationships of Lycium samples using RAPD and entropy theory1

To evaluate the phylogenetic relationships among related species of Lycium samples. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting and lab-on-a-chip electrophoresis techniques were used to analyze the characteristics of Lycium species. Seven species and 3 varieties of Lycium were studied. Based on RAPD fingerprint data obtained from 11 primers, we proposed a new index, called dispersivity, using entropy theory and projection methods to depict the diversity of the DNA fingerprints. Using the proposed dispersivity, primers were sorted and the dendrograms of the 7 species and 3 varieties of Lycium were constructed synthetically by merging primer information. Phylogenetic relationships among Lycium samples were constructed synthetically based on RAPD fingerprint data generated from 11 primers.