RAPD analysis:: a method to investigate aspects of the reproductive biology of Hypericum perforatum L.

Recent interest in breeding strategies for Hypericum perforatum L. requires a better understanding of the floral biology of this medicinal plant. The aim of the present study was to check, whether RAPD fingerprinting may he a useful tool for research on the mode of reproduction of this species. Progenies from three defined single plants of two accessions, as well as progenies from a random sample of seeds of a wild population, of H. perforatum were characterized by RAPD analyses using six primers. The results obtained by DNA fingerprints indicate the predominance of an identical mode of reproduction for this species, obviously due to apomixis. Nevertheless, non-identical reproduction was evident as a minor effect in H. perforatum, as could be demonstrated by significant deviations in the RAPD fingerprints of progenies from one single plant. It is concluded that RAPD fingerprint analysis is a suitable technique to discover identity or non-identity in H. perforatum populations Therefore, RAPDs may be used in addition to cytological studies to confirm the mode of reproduction by apomixis versus self-pollination, haploid parthenogenesis or cross-fertilization.