AN ISOZYME STUDY IN BILBERRY (VACCINIUM-MYRTILLUS) .2. MATING SYSTEM AND GENETIC-STRUCTURE

Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) is an important component of temperate heathland vegetation in Northern Europe, yet little is known concernin g basic aspects related to its breeding system and genetic variability . In this study, one metapopulation of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L .) was studied in the Upper Ardennes, Belgium, over a period of 3 year s in order to estimate outcrossing rates by means of isozyme starch ge l electrophoresis. Moreover, this population, along with nine other Be lgian populations (in 1992) and three other European populations (in 1 993) were sampled for their genetic variability, still by isozyme tech niques. The results show that bilberry has a mixed-mating system and l evels of genetic variation equivalent to that in other clonal species with sexual reproduction.