Determination of genetic relationships among Velezia L. (Caryophyllaceae) species using RAPD markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to determine genetic relationships among Velezia L. species from Turkey. A total of 432 amplified bands were obtained using 14 RAPD primers. The polymorphism in RAPD markers was high (98.61%) and was sufficient to distinguish each species. The degree of band-sharing was used for evaluating the genetic similarity between species and for constructing a dendrogram by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Genetic relationships among the species were found to be fully consistent with those obtained by the use of morphological characters. Data obtained from our study demonstrated that the RAPD technique could be successfully used for the determination of genetic relationships among Velezia species and for species identification. Furthermore, it can be efficiently employed in future studies to provide preliminary data for conservation of endangered Velezia species.