Mitochondrial NAD7 intronic region as barcoding marker for genetic diversity assessment of six Lathyrus species

<i>Lathyrus</i> is an important agronomic and economic crop. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the potential of intron 2 of the <i>NAD</i>7 mitochondrial gene for assessing intraspecific genetic diversity in six <i>Lathyrus</i> species. A high polymorphism in intron length and nucleotide composition was detected. The 22 accessions examined could be classified into groups corresponding to Kupicha’s sections, independently of their geographical origins.