A STUDY OF GENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF CROCUS TAXA, SERIES BIFLORI (IRIDACEAE) FROM BULGARIA BY ISSR MARKERS

The taxonomy of the genus Crocus ser. Nudiscapus and the relationship between species in the genus are complicated and often contradictory. In this study, the genetic diversity and molecular markers' pattern variation among members of the C. biflorus group in Bulgaria were evaluated. For this study, five Crocus L. species from 15 natural populations were collected and assessed using the ISSR marker system. The data obtained was consolidated in a consensus tree, revealing a high degree of genetic variability among the studied species, as well as among the specimens inside the group.