Premise of the study: Although there are as many as 250 species in the genus Beilschmiedia, their genetic diversity has been poorly investigated. Our objective was to develop microsatellite markers for B. roxburghiana to study its genetic diversity for the sustainable management of this species. •
Methods and results: Using the microsatellite-enriched library and PCR-based screening method, 22 microsatellite markers were developed and 10 showed high polymorphism in a population. The number of alleles per locus for these 10 microsatellites ranged from five to 19. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.298 to 1.000 and from 0.314 to 0.878, respectively. •
Conclusions: Our results from the 10 highly polymorphic microsatellites indicate that the principal reproductive mode of B. roxburghiana is clonal in the studied population. These microsatellites will facilitate further studies on genetic diversity and structure in B. roxburghiana.
Keywords: Beilschmiedia roxburghiana; Lauraceae; Xishuangbanna Plot; genetic diversity; microsatellite markers; population genetics.