Abstract:To investigate the relationship between the variation of chloroplast matK gene sequence and the geographical distribution of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Method: PCR direct sequencing was applied to detect the matK sequences of 17 samples of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb collected from 15 populations. Results: The matK gene sequences were 1271 bp in length. Multiple sequence alignment showed that there were 12 variable sites in matK sequences and the Polygonum multiflorum Thunb smples were divided into four groups. Conclusion: These relatively variable sites in matK gene provided potential information for identifying Polygonum multiflorum species at the DNA level. The phylogenetic relationship of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb was well correlated with their geographical distribution.
