Analysis of Juniperus communis and its varieties based on DNA fingerprinting

Plants of Juniperus communis L. var. communis, J. c. var. depressa Pursh, J. c. var. hemispherica J. & C. Presl, J. communis var. megistocarpa Fern. & St. John, J. c. var. nipponica (Maxim.) Wils., J. c. var. oblonga hort. ex Loudon and J. c. var. saxatilis Pall. were sampled and DNA fingerprinting (RAPDs, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs) was performed. Based on 191 RAPD bands, there was little evidence to support the recognition of J. communis var. hemispherica, J. c. var. oblonga and J. c. var. nipponica. Juniperus communis var. communis (Sweden) was found to be most similar to J. c. var. hemispherica from Sicily, and also very similar to J. c. var. saxatilis. The recognition of J. c. var. saxatilis, sensu stricto, and var. hemispherica (from Sicily) was not supported by the RAPD data in this study. All of the J. c. var. depressa populations sampled from the Western Hemisphere formed a distinct group. Juniperus communis var. megistocarpa, endemic to maritime eastern Canada, was the most distinct variety of J. communis. Juniperus communis var. “saxatilis” populations from the Kamchatka peninsula and J. c. var. “hemispherica” from the Sierra Nevada, Spain, were very distinct from other J. c. var. communis–saxatilis populations.  2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.