Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) methods were used for investigating genetic variation within L. radiosa and for delimiting species within the genus Lobothallia. Ten RAPD and 11 ISSR primers produced a total of 261 and 260 reproducible bands, respectively, and all of which were polymorphic for the two markers, suggesting high genetic variability within L. radiosa. Genetic distances between the samples of L. radiosa for the RAPD and ISSR analyses ranged from 51 to 93% and from 56 to 92%, respectively. The average was 71.2% for the RAPD markers while it was 80.4% for the ISSR markers. Although a high number of sample-specific bands (31 for RAPD and 16 for ISSR) were seen in L. radiosa, no species-specific band was observed. The RAPD-based dendrogram clustered the samples of L. alphoplaca into one group except for the samples from Kayseri and Nigde, whereas it divided the samples of L. radiosa into two main groups. On the other hand, the ISSR-based dendrogram resulted in four main groups. While the first main group included the three samples of L. alphoplaca, the other three main groups consisted of the samples of L. radiosa. Both RAPD-and ISSR-based dendrograms partially grouped the samples of L. radiosa and L. alphoplaca based on their geographical origins.

Seed protein diversity of fourteen lentil cultivars grown in Turkey was studied by using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A distance matrix was produced based on five polymorphic protein bands, scored for their absence as 0 and presence as 1. Seed protein distances among the cultivars ranged from 0.00 to 0.80. The dendrogram based on the distance matrix indicated two distinct clusters. The first cluster includes the cultivars Sultan 1, Meyveci 2001 and Kayi 91. The second cluster contains the cultivars Pul 11, Ozbek, Emre 20, Malazgirt 89, Ciftci, Seyran 96, AliDayi, Firat 87, Sazak, Erzurum 89 and YerliKirmizi.

Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers were used to determine the genetic relationships among Turkish lentil cultivars and breeding lines. Fourteen cultivars and thirteen breeding lines were evaluated to determine genetic variability using nine random 10-mer primers (among 45 primers). Forty-one reproducible bands were obtained, 54% of which were polymorphic. Genetic distances among cultivars and breeding lines were obtained from the simple matching coefficients (SM). The lowest genetic distance was observed between the cultivars of Ali Dayi and Kafkas with 5.0%, while 'Seyran-96' and 'Ozbek' had the highest genetic distance with 58.3%. An unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UP-GMA) cluster analysis was performed on the distance matrix using Phylip software. The dendrogram clearly showed two distinct groups. The first group is composed of Akm 565 and Akm 563. The second group contains all the cultivars and remaining eleven breeding lines.

Abbreviations: DTT: dithiothreitolRAPDs: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA SDS-PAGE: sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis TES: TE-saline UPGMA: unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averagesIn this study, phylogenetic relationships among 39 Phlomis taxa were investigated based on seed protein profiles produced by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A total of 21 polypeptide bands were scored, of which, 19 were polymorphic among the taxa of the genus Phlomis. A distance matrix was generated from the similarity matrix which was computed by using Jaccard's similarity coefficients, based on polymorphic bands and then an UPGMA tree was established through cluster analysis performed on the distance matrix. Genetic distances ranged from 0.00 to 0.50 within subsection Dendrophlomis; from 0.00 to 0.625 within subsection Gymnophlomis and from 0.00 to 0.769 within subsection Oxyphlomis. The UPGMA tree formed four groups. The topology of the tree is in agreement with the taxonomic view regarding the section Phlomis as it is divided into three subsections as Dendrophlomis, Gymnophlomis and Oxyphlomis based on morphological characters. The grouping pattern of the tree also indicated that subsection Dendrophlomis is more closely related to subsection Gymnophlomis than subsection Oxyphlomis.

Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers (RAPD) were used to assess the hybrid identity of individuals sampled as Phlomis x termessi Davis. Out of 95 primers screened, 11 primers produced reproducible amplification patterns used for discrimination of P. x termessi and their parents. Eleven primers produced 81 bands. Forty two percent of the RAPD bands existed in parents. Of the 54 bands found in P. lycia, 19 were found only in this species and 7 of these were monomorphic. Similarly, of 57 RAPD bands observed in P. bourgaei, 18 were found only in P. bourgaei and 6 of these were monomorphic. Among hybrid individuals, 35 of the 73 markers were monomorphic. Fifteen of these existed in individual parents showing that parents were homozygous for these markers. Of the 35 monomorphic bands observed among hybrid individuals, 5 were present in the samples of one of the parents and completely absent from the samples of the other; therefore, additive inheritance is indicated. Of the 5 additive bands, 1 was inherited from P. bourgaei and 4 were inherited from P. lycia. Among 38 polymorhic markers observed in hybrid individuals, 9 were new and hybrid-specific. Pollen fertility was also investigated. Mean pollen fertility for P. lycia and P. bourgaei was 93% and 97% respectively. However, mean pollen fertility for hybrids was 65% (+/-10.5).