Context. Preservation of genetic diversity of species is a pressing issue; in particular, the preservation of the gene pool of many rare and endangered plants is a priority. Species of the genus Crambe (family Brassicaceae) have potential in agriculture and bioremediation.
Aims. This study aims to assess the genetic diversity and DNA fingerprint of five rare species of the genus Crambe, and to develop the concept of a genetic passport for rare plants.
Methods. DNA fingerprinting was conducted via the inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) method, using six ISSR primers. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the species was performed.
Key results. In total, 145 polymorphic loci were detected. The studied species formed two different clusters on genetic dendrogram analysis. The first cluster comprised two species, Crambe steveniana and C. tataria from a single subsection (Tatariae), forming a common clade. They were the most genetically close species with genetic similarity of 0.8431. The remaining three species (C. cordifolia, C. maritima, C. pinnatifida), from another subsection of Crambe, formed nodes from the general clade.
Conclusions. The findings allow plants to be genetically certified using our methods and informative ISSR primers for rare plants. We were able to propose a genetic formula identifying a species and present an example of a genetic passport for rare plants. The genetic structure of C. pinnatifida was investigated for the first time.
Implications. The present findings contribute to the systematics and critical investigation of rare plant species with genetic resource potential. A genetic passport could be used in the protection of copyright of agricultural varieties.
