The utility of rbcL and matK regions for DNA barcoding analysis of the genus suaeda (Amaranthaceae) species

The genus suaeda (forssk.) belongs to the family chenopodiaceae. identification of suaeda species based on morphological data is quite difficult due to high phenotypic plasticity,few distinguishable and many overlapping characters. in current research,the efficiency of rbcl and matk (plants core barcode regions) for species identification of the genus suaeda was assessed. the determination of intraspecific and interspecific divergence,assessment of barcoding gap,reconstruction of phylogenetic trees and evaluation of barcode regions for species identification (based on best match and best close match) were carried out.. the results revealed that rbcl showed comparatively less overlapping for the distribution of interspecific and intraspecific divergence. in addition,the highest discriminating ability for correct species identification was also observed in this region. therefore,rbcl was found to be a significant barcode region for the identification of suaeda species. © 2015,pakistan botanical society. all rights reserved.