Determination of intra-specific genetic variation of Phlomis kurdica and Phlomis oppositiflora and investigation for the hybridity of P. x melitenense (Lamiaceae) by means of molecular markers

In this study, intra-specific genetic variation and inter-specific genetic relation were investigated among Phlomis oppositiflora, P. kurdica, P. x melitenense (P. kurdica x oppositiflora), P. capitata and P. kurdica x capitata by using RAPD and ISSR markers. The hybridity of P. x melitenense and P. kurdica x capitata samples was also surveyed in terms of morphological and molecular aspects. Except for two, all bands obtained from RAPD (707 bands) and ISSR (651 bands) analyses were polymorphic. The lowest genetic distance values obtained from RAPD and ISSR analyses were 0.0156 (between P. x melitenense and P. kurdica) and 0.0142 (between P. x melitenense and P. kurdica) respectively. The highest genetic distance values obtained from RAPD and ISSR analyses were 0.0866 (between P. kotschyana and P. oppositiflora) and 0.1237 (between P. kotschyana and P. kurdica x capitata) respectively. While P. kurdica indicated the highest genetic diversity (H = 0.1572; I = 0.2646) in RAPD analysis, P. capitata displayed the highest genetic diversity (H = 0.1403; I = 0.2329) in ISSR analysis. AMOVA results showed that 86% and 75% of the total variance resided within groups based on RAPD and ISSR markers, respectively. Based on the RAPD and ISSR results, both P. x melitenense and P. kurdica x capitata samples inherited species specific bands from their parental species, which confirms their hybridity. Although both P. x melitenense and P. kurdica x capitata hybrids showed a morphological mosaic between their parental phenotypes in terms of the majority of the quantitative characters examined, P. x melitenense and P. kurdica x capitata exceeded their parental phenotypes in terms of the three and 11 quantitative characters respectively. MANOVA results from the morphological data showed significant distinction among P. kurdica, P. oppositiflora, P. x melitenense, P. capitata and P. kurdica x capitata (Wilks' Lambda = 0.003; df = 112; P < 0.01). Average pollen fertilities of P. oppositiflora, P. x melitenense, P. capitata, P. kurdica and P. kurdica x capitata were 93.44%, 68.42%, 93.28 %, 90.12% and 92.77% respectively