Investigation of the phylogenetic relationships between Diuris fragrantissima and its closest relatives using AFLPs

This study investigated the genetic relationships between the rare terrestrial orchid Diuris fragrantissima and three closely related purple flowered species using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. The purple-flowered species were found to form individual phenetic clusters confirming recognition of D. fragrantissima at the rank of species. Levels of genetic variation were lower within D. fragrantissima than within its closest relatives but were higher than expected for severely bottlenecked species. Gene flow was detected among all species (Nm = 2.34) and populations (Nm = 0.65) however low among population gene flow indicates that populations may be at risk of divergence. This study has implications for the conservation of D. fragrantissima.