Investigating Specific Diversity of Aquatic Plant Ceratophyllum L. in Iran Using Morphological Characters and ISSR and SRAP Molecular Markers

The genus Ceratophyllum L. is a submerged aquatic plant of the Ceratophyllaceae family, with six species recognized worldwide. So far, two species, C. demersum and C. submersum, have been reported for the flora of Iran. Considering the importance of this plant from an environmental and ecological point of view, its taxonomic and molecular studies have been carried out in this study to investigate the species diversity of this genus. Following the identification of species by assessing morphological features in individuals from different populations, 7 ISSR primers and 3 pairs of SRAP primers were used to confirm the identifications and study the genetic diversity of distinct populations. Molecular investigations showed the number of 5 genetic groups, whose intra-population diversity (52%) was higher than inter-population diversity (48%) with P<0.05. Furthermore, the data revealed that the populations of this plant in Iran have relatively the same genetic pool. Based on this, it can be concluded that several elements, including the connectedness of aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the north of the country, as well as the high adaptability of this submerged plant with aquatic habitats, can be effective in producing such conditions. Recent droughts have increased the sexual reproduction of this plant, and as a result, the species diversity within the populations has increased.