Objective: To determine the genetic diversity of natural and cultivated Cistanche tubulosa.
Method: 123 individuals of six populations of C. tubulosa, including four natural populations and two cultivated ones, were analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to determine the genetic variations among the populations.
Result: A total of 87 loci (including 24 polymorphic loci) were amplified using 10 random primers. The average percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) was 27.59 in the natural populations. The PPL between natural populations are 19.54 to 25.29. Of the four natural populations, Andi' er population had highest PPL (25.29). The two cultivated populations had low PPL (13.79 and 11.49). Cluster analysis using UPGMA revealed that populations of natural and cultivated were separated into two groups, the four natural populations clustered as one group and the two cultivated populations clustered as another group, indicating that the natural and cultivated populations had obvious differentiation.
Conclusion: In view of the low genetic diversity of the cultivated C. tubulosa, we strongly suggested that the natural populations should be conserved in particular.