Ten rare, threatened, and endangered Rhododendron species were collected from different places of altitudinal ranges starting from 2,247 to 3,580 masl. Of Darjeeling Hill. The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was used to measure the degree of the Genetic variation and the interconnection within the species. Out of 19, 6 oligonucleotide primers were chosen based on their performance, for the study. Genetic Similarity Coefficient ranged from 0.45455 to 0.93827 with an average of 79.43% polymorphism. This present study shows a low average level of genetic diversity [Ho = 0.986, Hs = 0.979, Ht = 0.985, I = 3.973, polymorphic information content = 0.2096] in the population of Rhododendron. As well as, a negative value of inbreeding coefficients. The mean inbreeding coefficient (Fst) within subpopulations is 0.006. A RAPD-based dendrogram constructed from Jaccard’s estimates in Free Tree, through the use of neighbor-joining cluster analysis, divided nine (out of ten) Rhododendron species into two main sister groups. The study found that Rhododendron species are at risk of out-crossing depression and require conservation.
Key words: Dendrogram, genetic diversity, polymorphism, Rhododendron, RAPD
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