ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the morphological characteristics and genetic diversity of Atractylodes macrocephala from different varieties, in order to protect and select the germplasm resources and optimize the cultivated technology. Methods: The inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), morphological characteristics, and physiology were used to analyze the genetic diversity among 11 varieties of A. macrocephala in Dapan mountain, a national natural reserve in Zhejiang Province and the cluster analysis was performed by UPCMA method. Results: The varieties differed greatly in leaf-shape and leaf-color, stem and rhizomatous configuration, production and disease resistance, and no correlation was observed in these differences. However, in all samples, the photosynthesis rate was closely correlated to the biomass production, despite the great differences existing among different varieties. Simultaneously, fifteen screened ISSR primers were served as ISSR-PCR markers, and 129 sites were amplified, which included 107 polymorphic sites (82.95% of the total bands). At molecular level, the genetic differentiations occured among 11 varieties, some differentiations were quite distinctive according to cluster analysis. Conclusion: The germplasm resources of A. macrocephala. are abundant and the genetic diversity basis exists in all kinds of A. macrocephala in Dapan mountain.