The relationship analysis of taxonomical, phylogeographycal, variation and genetical structure between Veronica anagallis-aquatica L. populations in Iran

In this research the geography, genetic diversity and genetic structure of Veronica anagalis-aquatica L. populations (water speedwell) were studied in Iran. Water speedwell (V.a.a) are perennial plants and in Iran three subspecies are found in moist habitats, such as river margins. The three subspecies have the same general appearance, and it has been a challenging subject to study long-term demographic differentiation and recognition of their potential diversity. Here, we studied migration routes and aim to solve taxonomic problems of this species in Iran. Samples collected from the north, northwest and center of Iran were analysed for phylogeographic and phylogenetic studies. The use of modern molecular tools, along with morphological and eco-ecological studies, was essential for population surveys. For this purpose, we studied relationships among the individuals and population structure using the ISSR marker. Extracting DNA of 96 individuals from 16 different populations in Iran and calculating the genetic distance demonstrated that the total genetic variation related to the difference in ISSR segments was mainly (80%) intra-population variation, 17% variation between populations and 3% diversity among the regions. Genetic analysis also showed that there were two major genotypic groups. This study showed that the results of molecular analyses better predict the position and relationship between species than other classical taxonomic methods. Further studies with the help of other molecular markers, as well as the inclusion of more taxa in the study, are necessary and appear promising.