Full Length Research Paper

Genetic relationships among some Hesperis L. (Brassicaceae) species from Turkey assessed by RAPD analysis

Sümer Aras¹*, Ahmet Duran²,  Gülay Yenilmez¹ and Demet Cansaran Duman³

¹Department of Biology, University of Ankara, 06100 Tandogan, Ankara, Turkey.

²Department of Biology, University of Selçuk, 42090 Meram, Konya, Turkey.

³Refik Saydam Hygiene Center, Drug and Cosmetics Research Department Laboratories, Sıhhıye/Ankara/Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: aras@science.ankara.edu.tr. 

Accepted 30 June, 2009

In this study the phylogenetic relations among infraspecific, specific and supraspecific categories of 6 taxa of the genus Hesperis collected from different parts of Turkey were investigated by RAPD analysis. The results of the RAPD analysis support the idea that H. bicuspidata (Sect. Hesperis), H. schischkinii (Sect. Mediterranea), H. pendula (Sect. Pachycarpos), H. breviscapa, H. kotschyi (Sect. Cvelevia) and H. cappadocica (Sect. Contorta) species need to be placed into different sections according to morphological characters. On the other hand, the phylogenetic order of the sections according to morphological characters and according to molecular data displayed some differences and evolutionary phylogenetic orders of the sections were redesigned. The phylogenetic relations among species were based on the samples H. breviscapa and H. kotschyi which take place in the same section. The accordance of morphological and molecular similarities was noticed for H. breviscapa and H. kotschyi species. Besides this, infraspecific taxonomic situations of H. schischkinii samples having hairy and glabrous (non-hairy) fruits which show allopatric and sympatric spread were reassessed by RAPD analysis. 

Key words: Hesperis, RAPD, polymorphism, Turkey.