Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite markers for a federally threatened species, Hexastylis naniflora (Aristolochiaceae), and co-occurring congeners.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Twenty microsatellite loci were developed for the federally threatened species Hexastylis naniflora (Aristolochiaceae) to examine genetic diversity and to distinguish this species from co-occurring congeners, H. heterophylla and H. minor. METHODS AND RESULTS Next-generation sequencing approaches were used to identify microsatellite loci and design primers. One hundred fifty-two primer pairs were screened for repeatability, and 20 of these were further characterized for polymorphism. In H. naniflora, the number of alleles identified for polymorphic loci ranged from two to 23 (mean ∼8.8), with a mean heterozygosity of 0.39. CONCLUSIONS These 16 polymorphic primers for H. naniflora will be useful tools in species identification and quantifying genetic diversity within the genus.