We report the development of 13 primer pairs that allow the unambiguous amplification of 15 microsatellite (SSR) loci in white spruce (Picea glauca). Fourteen of these loci were polymorphic in trees sampled at three geographically separated regions of western Canada. Segregation analysis carried out on these loci confirmed a Mendelian inheritance pattern for all except two, which showed significant segregation distortion. All of these primer pairs amplified SSR loci in at least one of the other Picea species tested [black spruce (P. mariana), red spruce (P. rubens), Norway spruce (P. abies), Colorado spruce (P. pungens), sitka spruce (P. sitchensis) and Engelmann spruce (P. engelmannii)]. Given the important commercial and ecological roles of these species, this set of markers will be invaluable for their management, the improvement of commercially important traits, and the study of their ecology and genetics.

The mating system in five northern Ontario populations of tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) was investigated using five allozyme marker loci (Aat3, G6p, Mdh3, Pgi2, and 6pg2). The mean multilocus outcrossing rate was 0.729, lower than estimates reported for most other conifers. The one population with a much higher stand density than the others had the highest outcrossing rate (0.908). Significant heterozygote deficiencies, relative to Hardy – Weinberg expectations, were observed at most loci in all five embryo populations. In contrast, there appeared to be few cases of heterozygote deficiencies in the adult populations, indicating that many inbred seedlings do not survive to the adult stage.

Allozyme variants were examined for 12 enzyme systems in haploid megagametophyte tissue of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.). Inheritance and linkage information is reported for 11 loci (Aat-3, Aco, Adh, Fle-2, Idh, Mdh-2, Mdh-3, Mdh-4, Mdr, Pgi-2, and Pgm-2). Deviations from a 1:1 segregation ratio were observed at Fle-2, Pgi-2, and between two of the three alleles at Mdh-4. Significant linkage was observed for two pairs of loci (Aco–Fle-2 and Adh–Pgi-2), but estimates of recombination frequencies were relatively high.Key words: Pinus albicaulis, isozymes.

Isozymes of peroxidase (PER) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed in vegetative buds or very young leaves of seven species and two interspecific hybrids of Populus, in progenies of seven controlled crosses of three Populus species, and in needles of five Picea species and one putative hybrid. One to three PER, and one or two SOD zones of activity were observed. Electrophoretic mobility (EM) and banding phenotypes of isozymes of one PER locus were identical to those of one SOD locus in vegetative buds of five Populus species and hybrid. In leaves of the four Populus species and hybrid and progenies of controlled crosses, EM and phenotypes of isozymes of two PER loci were identical to those of two SOD loci. In Picea species, EM of isozymes of the only SOD locus was somewhat similar but not identical to that of one PER locus, and isozyme phenotypes of all individuals at the SOD locus were not identical to those at a PER locus. Chi-square tests verified the single-gene Mendelian control of the segregating allozyme variants at each of Per-L1 and Sod-1 in the three Populus species. The results of joint two-locus segregation tests indicated a very tight linkage and no recombination between Per-L1 and Sod-1 in three Populus species. Genes coding for isozymes of one or two PER loci are either presumably the same as, or very tightly linked to, the genes coding for isozymes of one or two SOD loci in the Populus species.