Genetic variation in the Epacris tasmanica complex (Epacridaceae).

Abstract

RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers were used to delimit species in the Epacris tasmanica complex (Epacridaceae) collected from various locations in Tasmania, Australia. The RAPD analysis placed morphologically similar taxa located closely geographically into discrete clusters. However, geographically distant populations of morphometrically similar taxa, such as the southern and northern Tasmanian populations of E. virgata and E. tasmanica, were less closely related to each other than those taxa classified as different species. The most geographically remote population (E. glabella [Serpentine Hill]) shared the least genetic similarities with the other taxa. The genetic information obtained from this study reinforces some previous morphometric data used to delimit species in the E. tasmanica complex. Furthermore, the strong geographical structure of the genetic variation is consistent with a model in which gene flow between populations is limited.