Determination of Genetic Diversity among Iris species Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis

The genetic relationships among seven Iris species (I. germanica, I. petrana, I. atrofusca, I. nigricans, I. vartanii, I. aucheri and I. edomensis) were studied by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). All the examined species were clearly identified using four primers (OPB-09, OPB-10, OPB-11 and OPB-12) out of twelve primers tested. The total number of amplification products produced with these primers was (125) and the fragment size ranged between 300 to 1500 bp. Primer OPB-10 produced the highest number of bands (38). The similarity among the seven Iris species ranged from 14% between I. vartanii and I. petrana to 85% between I. germanica and I. atrofusca; I. germanica and I. aucheri. The dendrogram of the seven species showed two main clusters. The first one included five species (I. germanica, I. petrana, I. nigricans, I. vartanii and I. edomensis); while the second cluster included two species (I. atrofusca and I. aucheri).