Genetic diversity and relationships between nine species of bamboo in Sri Lanka, using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) showed a high degree of polymorphism in nine species of bamboo, Dendrocalamus giganteus Wall ex Munro, D. asper Becker ex K. Heyn, D. longispathus (Kurz) Kurz, Bambusa vulgaris `Striata', B. ventricosa, B. bambos (L.) A. Voss, B. atra Lindley, Gigantochloa atroviolacea Wdjaja and Arundinaria hindsii, in Sri Lanka. The lowest mean genetic distance of 0.143 was between B. vulgaris and B. ventricosa. They could however be distinguished morphologically. The genetic distances separating D. longispathus from D. giganteus and D. asper were both greater than that between the latter two species, which had a value of 0.313. Although the genetic distances between Bambusa vulgaris, B. ventricosa and B. bambos were relatively small, B. atra separated from them at greater distances. The smaller genetic distances between G. atroviolacea and B. vulgaris, B. ventricosa and B. bambos indicated that G. atroviolacea had a closer affinity to these three Bambusa species than B. atra. A. hindsii with the greatest genetic distances from all other species in the study, was not related to any of them. RAPD analysis was useful in determining the genetic diversity and relationships and in detecting problematic generic assignments.