Genetic diversity of Artemisia populations in central and north Saudi Arabia based on morphological variation and RAPD polymorphism

• Published in: Plant systematics and evolution Vol. 298; no. 5; pp. 871 - 886
• Main Authors: Badr, Abdelfattah, El-Shazly, Hanaa H, Helail, Nagah S, El Ghanim, Wafaa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer-Verlag 01.05.2012; Springer Vienna; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Artemisia; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; DNA; Elevation; Fingerprinting; Genetic diversity; Genetic variation; Herbal medicine; Judaica; Life Sciences; Medicinal plants; Morphology; Original Article; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Ecology; Plant morphology; Plant Sciences; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Plants; Polymorphism; Population genetics; Population growth; Populations; random amplified polymorphic DNA technique; Species; Species populations; Saudi Arabia; Morphological variation; Saudi Arabia; Genetic diversity; RAPD polymorphism
• ISSN: 0378-2697; 1615-6110; 2199-6881
• DOI: 10.1007/s00606-012-0597-5

The analysis of morphological variation and RAPD polymorphism distinguished populations of A. herba alba from populations of A. judaica and A. monosperma. Higher morphological diversity is found in A. herba alba compared to the other two species, but molecular data derived from RAPD polymorphism also indicated that A. herba alba is more polymorphic than the other two species. However, RAPD fingerprinting also indicated sharp polymorphism among populations of both A. judaica and A. monosperma. Geographic and local ecological variations related to elevation of the sites of the examined populations may be regarded to have played a role in the genetic diversity of the examined populations of Artemisia species in the study area. The results are important for future plans for sustainable conservation of medicinal plants in Saudi Arabia. However, extensive sampling of the examined Artemisia species populations is required, and more regional data should be obtained from other distribution areas.