Rhamnus intermedius Steud. & Hochst. has recently become a new representative of the Slovenian flora. On the meadow along the Karst edge a single bush was observed, composed of morphologically different shoots (Jarni, 2014). DNA isolation on this species in Slovenia was carried out for the first time. Moreover, microsatellite markers previously
used on other Rhamnus species were examined for the first time on Rhamnus intermedius. The study included Slovenian and Croatian populations. Samples of R. saxatilis and R. fallax served as reference species. A genomic analysis of seven loci revealed six genetically distinctive individuals in the Slovenian bush. In comparison to the Croation population, which on average exhibited low heterozigocity (F = 0.281), the Slovenian population showed considerable variability (F = -0.204). A deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was identified in three loci of the Croatian population sample. Between those two populations, moderate differentiation was observed (FST = 0.088). A comparison of the genetic profiles of the three Rhamnus species was performed using principal coordinate analysis. The analysis confirms that the observed bush belongs to the species Rhamnus intermedius. The results of the study indicate that the Slovenian population has the potential for pollination and reproduction through seeds.
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