Genetic variations of Solidago virgaurea

We investigated genetic variations of Mg transporter genes in edaphic races of Solidago virgaurea in isolated ultramafic areas. The objective of this study is to reveal whether the same genetic mutation is used to adapt to the special soil habitats geographically isolated. We used plant materials sampled in isolated ultramafic areas and peripheral non-ultramafic areas of understory in all around Hokkaido, Japan. We compared genetic structure of adaptive genes and that of neutral genetic differentiation. In the result, the adaptive genes showed the contrastive genetic composition corresponding to the soil types but the neutral loci did not show such genetic pattern.