MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SALVIA SPP. THROUGH RAPD MARKERS

The genus Salvia (Fam. Labiatae) consists of more than 900 species that are grown in many regions of the world for ornamental, aromatic and culinary usage. A collection of 150 sage genotypes, coming from the African and the American continents, was established in the greenhouses of the C.R.A.- Experimental Institute for Floriculture, in the framework of an European INTERREG ALCOTRA Project “SALVIE”, for the valorisation of new germplasm. In this work we have used RAPD analysis to characterise several sage species and to determine the genetic relationships among them. Seventeen individuals belonging to different sage species, native to Central America (S. cacaliifolia, S. buchananii, S. greggii, S. chamaedryoides, S. elegans, and S. cinnabarina), South America (S. corrugata, S. haenkei, and S. discolor), Ethiopia-Somalia (S. somalensis), Morocco (S. taraxicifolia) and Canary islands (S. canariensis) were analysed. Ten random decamers were used to amplify total genomic DNA, that was extracted and purified from in vivo young leaves. Seven primers produced a total of 143 polymorphic fragments, size ranging from 300 to 2000 bp. The primers used in this preliminary analysis allowed to discriminate all 17 samples. The obtained dendrogram by UPGMA cluster analysis was characterised by two main clusters: in the first one all genotypes native to Mexico were grouped and, in a distinct sub-cluster, all cultivars of Salvia greggii examined were collected. Genotypes coming from Somalia, Morocco and the Canary islands were grouped together in the second major clade.