Assessment of genetic structure and diversity of Erodium (Geranaiceae) species

Erodium Aiton (Geraniaceae) with 75 species is distributed in all continents except Antarctic. Its main diversification center is Mediterranean region with 62 species. The genetic diversity was assessed through Sequence-related amplified polymorphism. To uncover genetic diversity and species characteristics in Erodium species, were studied through a combination of morphological and molecular data. 70 individuals related to seven Erodium were collected in 7 provinces. A total of 96 (Number of total loci) (NTL) DNA bands were produced through polymerase chain reaction amplifications (PCR) amplification of seven Erodium species. These bands were produced with the combinations of six selective primers. The total number of amplified fragments ranged from 10 to 25. The genetic similarities between seven species are estimated from 0.70 to 0.85. Clustering results showed two major clusters. This study also detected a significant signature of isolation by distance (Mantel test results). Present results showed that sequence-related amplified polymorphism have the potential to identify and decipher genetic affinity in Erodium species. Current results have implications in biodiversity and conservation programs. Besides this, present results could pave the way for selecting suitable ecotypes for forage and pasture purposes in Iran