Evaluating molecular and morphological diversity of Phlomis olivieri Benth (Lamiaceae) populations in Iran

ABSTRACT Phlomis olivieri (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant that exhibits diverse variations across a multitude of geographical ranges. Here, we studied the genetic diversity of this species according to start codon targeted (SCoT) markers and morphological variability based on 15 morphological traits. Specifically, the genetic diversity was studied among 100 individuals of 10 geographical populations in Iran. The populations were highly variable in almost all morphological traits (P < .01) and the dendrogram showed four main clusters for morphological traits. Out of the 10 primers, five SCoTs produced 93 reproducible bands, of which 92 were polymorphic. Significant values were observed in the average polymorphic information content (0.35), average band informativeness (18.4), resolving power (6.24) and average polymorphism (98.66%). SCoT markers ultimately grouped P. olivieri populations into six main clusters based on the principal component analysis. Using SCoT alleles, the individuals were grouped into eight distinct genetic clusters. The analysis of molecular variance showed a high degree of genetic variation among the populations (71%) and within the populations (29%). The Mantel test revealed a positive correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance. Thus, morphological features and SCoT markers were informative and reliable in revealing diversity among P. olivieri populations.