Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) Provides Molecular Markers for the Identification of Caladium bicolor Cultivars

Caladiums are popular ornamental plants that have not been well studied at the molecular level. Identification of species within the genus Caladium (Araceae) has been based primarily on morphology. However, the lack of comprehensive references makes identification of Caladium cultivars extremely difficult. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis using 17 primer combinations was carried out on two species of Caladium (C. bicolor and C. schomburgkii), including six cultivars of C. bicolor. Results showed that AFLP can be used to distinguish these two species by their unique and different banding patterns. Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) permitted cluster analysis of data from 17 selected primer combinations on six cultivars of C. bicolor and one cultivar of C. schomburgkii. It showed that closely related species can clearly be differentiated and that genetic difference between cultivars can also be established. Unique AFLP molecular markers were detected for all the C. bicolor cultivars used. The use of AFLP has potential for precisely characterizing and identifying particular caladium cultivars as well as for the registration of new cultivars. It will also be useful in future breeding programmes and systematics studies. # 1999 Annals of Botany Company Key words: Araceae, Caladium species and cultivars, AFLP DNA fingerprinting, diversity, AFLP markers