Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure and morphological analyses in an Iranian endemic species Rhabdosciadium aucheri Boiss. (Apiaceae) using ISSR markers

Rhabdosciadium aucheri (Apiaceae) is an Iranian endemic species, which grows in west, center and south regions of Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and morphological variations of 70 individuals belonging to seven geographical populations of Hamadan, Lorestan, Kurdistan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, employing inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. In order to estimate morphological variations 38 characters were used. For molecular investigations, three gene pools in the country were identified using STRUCTURE analysis and K-Means clustering and also separation by the distance among the mentioned populations was defined properly. The Mantel test showed correlation between genetic and geographical distance. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated a significant genetic variability among the studied populations. It showed that 52% of total genetic variation was due to within-population diversity. These data might be used in conservation of this considerable medicinal species in the country.