Al. Jacquemart et al., AN ISOZYME STUDY IN BILBERRY (VACCINIUM-MYRTILLUS) .2. MATING SYSTEM AND GENETIC-STRUCTURE, Belgian journal of botany, 127(2), 1994, pp. 105-114
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.