Abstract
In this study, we tested the applicability of four DNA regions (rbcL, matK, ITS, and ITS2) as barcodes for identifying species within Euphorbiaceae. Based on
assessments of the specific genetic divergence, the DNA barcoding gap, and the ability
for species discrimination, the present results affirmed that ITS/ITS2 is a potential
barcode for the Euphorbiaceae species. This study also provided a large-scale test
to evaluate the effectiveness of ITS/ITS2 for differentiating species within Euphorbiaceae.
Of the 1183 plant samples collected from 871 species in 66 diverse genera, ITS/ITS2
successfully identified > 90 % and 100 % of them at the species and genus levels,
respectively. Therefore, our research indicates that use of the ITS/ITS2 region is
a powerful technique for Euphorbiaceae identification.
Key words
DNA barcoding - species identification - Euphorbiaceae - intra‐/interspecific genetic
divergence
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Prof. PhD Shilin Chen
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
No. 151 Malianwa North Road, Haidian District
100193 Beijing
China
Phone: + 86 10 62 89 97 00
Fax: + 86 10 62 89 97 76
Email: slchen@implad.ac.cn
