A Phylogeny of Pelargonium Based on TRAP Markers

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:italic>Pelargonium</jats:italic> is one of the priority genera collected by the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC). In order to protect future breeders from a loss of genetic diversity, the OPGC collects heirloom cultivars, breeding lines, and wild species. The current <jats:italic>Pelargonium</jats:italic> collection consists primarily of cultivars originating from <jats:italic>P. ×hortorum</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>P. ×domesticum</jats:italic>. Our project was designed to analyze the current collection in order to facilitate the maintenance of a more-diverse core collection. We have expanded our TRAP (Target Region Amplified Polymorphism) analysis from 120 plants with one primer set to include 780 plants with four primer sets. Each primer set consists of a labeled arbitrary primer paired with a gene-specific primer, and two different fluorescent labels were used to allow multiplexed PCR reactions. We scored about 90 markers in each of the first two primer sets and about 60 markers in each of the second two. In comparisons between the phylogeny and the morphology and taxonomy of these plants, we show some matching clusters that may be explained by the breeding history of the plants.</jats:p>