Altitudinal genetic differentiation and diversity of Taiwan lily (Lilium longiflorum var. formosanum; Liliaceae) using RAPD markers and morphologicalcharacters

Taiwan lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. var. formosanum Baker) is distribute d from lowlands to high mountains in Taiwan with large morphological variat ion. The genetic differentiation of seven populations from low, middle, and high altitudes was studied by evaluating seven morphological traits and 64 RAPD markers. Morphological data defined two groups of low-middle and high altitudes. RAPD analysis employing nine primers also revealed that the pop ulations were differentiated according to the altitudinal differences. When populations were treated as consisting of three groups of low, middle, and high altitudes, the result of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indic ated that the variance components among groups, among populations within gr oups, and among individuals within populations were 5.09%, 2.82%, and 92.09 % of the total variance, respectively. A two-level AMOVA on three populatio ns of low altitudes revealed that the diversities among populations and amo ng individuals within populations accounted for 4.19% and 95.81% of the tot al diversity, respectively. The same analysis on three populations of high altitudes indicated that 2.32% of the total variance was attributable to po pulation differences, while 97.68% was accounted for by the individual diff erences within populations. The average similarity among individuals within populations of high altitudes was found to be significantly lower than tha t of low altitudes based on Mann-Whitney U-test. This result indicates that populations of high altitudes are more variable among individuals within p opulations than are populations of low altitudes. Therefore, there is a nee d for immediate measures to conserve the germplasms of lower altitude popul ations.