Allozyme variation and genetic relationships among species of Cimicifuga (Ranunculaceae) from Korea

Allozyme investigation of the five Cimicifuga taxa in Korea was conducted t o assess genetic and clonal diversity within populations and genetic diverg ence among populations and taxa. Levels of allozyme variation maintained in Korean Cimicifuga taxa were comparable to those for most herbaceous perenn ials. In general, samples excluding copies of the same multilocus genotype maintained higher levels of genetic diversity than the total samples within populations. Copies of homozygous genotypes at several loci resulting from clonal spread lead to decreased levels of genetic diversity within populat ions, indicating that clonal reproduction found in Cimicifuga affects popul ation genetic structure. In general, more widely distributed species such a s C. dahurica and C. japonica harbored higher levels of allozyme diversity than the other taxa examined. Although two varieties of C. heracleifolia ar e geographically and reproductively isolated, the genetic and clonal struct ure of var, bifida seems to resemble var. heracleifolia, indicating that th e two varieties may have had a similar evolutionary history. However, the a llozyme data strongly indicate that the two morphological types (Groups I a nd II) of C. simplex should be treated as separate species.