BIOSYSTEMATICS INVESTIGATION OF THE FERN (Genus Asplenium) IN HYRCANIAN FORESTS OF NORTH OF IRAN USING ISSR MOLECULAR MARKER

Despite more traditional systems, today’s classification systems are not only based on morphologic characteristics, but also they apply other biological characteristics of plant in the classification. In this direction, evolutional aspects, genetic dependencies and chemical structures of them are more emphasized. Today, DNA markers are used as integral and precise tools for examination of genetic structures of the species. For biosystematics study of the genus Asplenium in the north of Iran, 23 populations from two species of A. adiantum nigrum and A. trichomanes were collected from three provinces of Guilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan. Morphometric (morphological traits) and molecular method were applied using ISSR marker were done to perform this important case. The observed polymorphism value was 93.11%. Molecular results show that the populations of this genus are separated by ISSR marker. Morphometric study was performed based on 23 traits including 16 qualitative traits and 7 quantitative traits. Statistical analysis performed in morphometry shows that first and second components generated 90% of total diversity and were able to separate the populations well. The results obtained from molecular data are consistent with the results obtained from morphometric data.