Population Analysis of Licuala glabra Griff. var. glabra (Palmae) using RAPD Profiling

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling revealed genetic diversity among three populations of Licuala glabra var. glabra, an understorey palm growing in the dipterocarp forests of Terengganu, Malaysia. The Bukit Bauk population had individuals without aerial stems. The Bukit Besi individuals had stem heights to 30 cm, while those of the Rasau Kerteh population had stems up to 4 m in height. Southern blot analysis confirmed that an apparent monomorphic band generated by the primer OPU-17 among the three different populations corresponds to the same locus. Six primers were used to generate 87 RAPD bands that formed 2-state character raw data for estimating genetic distances using the simple matching coefficient of similarity. The phenogram generated by UPGMA of the RAPD data grouped the individuals from the three populations under three clusters. This was in agreement with the morphological grouping. The infraspecific L. glabra var. selangorensis Becc. was grouped closer to the L. glabra var. glabra individuals than to the outgroup L. scortechinii Becc. Principal component analysis supported the observation from the phenogram. The results show discrete genetic structuring in the populations studied and provide useful information for future conservation measures.