Genetic and morphological diversity in Iranian Medicago polymorpha populations by using morphological and ITS analysis

Concerning the increasing importance of feeding livestock with valuable fodder, the recent study was focused on characterizing the genetic and morphological diversity in bur clover (Medicago polymorpha) samples collected from different regions of Iran by using morphological traits and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) analysis. A total of ۱۴ populations were collected and evaluated morphologically from three regions of Iran in June ۲۰۱۷. ITS-based phylogenetic analysis was carried out through maximum parsimony and Bayesian. The bur clover samples were morphologically categorized into some taxa related to the areas studied. From our results, a high level of diversity for most morphological characteristics was found among populations. Clustering analysis based on morphological information showed correlation with geographical distribution. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS data showed that, all accessions of M. polymorpha formed a monophyletic clade. The findings suggest the presence of high variation within bur clover samples accessible in different Iranian regions. The utilization of morphological traits coupled with ITS analysis found useful to track the evolution and origin of M. polymorpha in Iran.  

Keywords:

Annual medics , diversity , morphological traits , Phylogenetic analysis , population