Partial genomic sequence of Ardisia japonica.

Novel microsatellite markers were first developed for Ardisia japonica (Primulaceae), using partial genomic sequence of a ramet (individual). Many understory plants in temperate forests reproduce asexually by means of vegetative offspring attached to the parent. Therefore, to clarify the history of plant communities and predict their future, it is important to investigate the population biology of constituent clonal species. However, few understory species in East Asian temperate forests have been studied at the genet level with molecular markers. Therefore, we developed microsatellite markers for A. japonica, an evergreen clonal shrub that commonly grows in the in the understory of various types of temperate forests in East Asia.