Applying AFLPs in Aizoaceae: The Delosperma herbeum complex as a case study

Amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers were used to discriminate between populations of Delosperma herbeum as well as other species of Delosperma occurring in Gauteng and adjacent provinces in South Africa. A total of 99 individuals representing 30 populations were examined for 158 polymorphic AFLP markers using the EcoRI and MseI restriction enzymes. Cluster analysis of AFLP marker scores, visualized through Neighbor-Joining and Neighbor-Net trees as well as Principal Coordinate Analysis, provides an effective means of discriminating between different species in the complex. The lack of bootstrap support for Delosperma davyi in the Neighbor-Joining tree and its position in the Principal Coordinate Analysis probably signifies it to be a superfluous name for D. herbeum. The clustering of the other species also suggests that flower colour is not a reliable feature for grouping species in Delosperma. A number of clusters of D. herbeum were correlated to a degree with distribution.