Development of STS and CAPS markers for identification of three tall larkspurs (Delphinium spp.)

One cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) and nine sequence tagged site (STS) markers were developed for identifying tall larkspur (Delphinium spp.) plants in three species based on the DNA sequence of known species-specific RAPD markers. Four STS markers were used for identification of Delphinium occidentale, three STS markers for Delphinium barbeyi, and one CAPS and two STS markers for Delphinium glaucum. One hundred sixty-six individual plants collected at 19 locations in the western U.S.A. were tested using the STS and CAPS markers. Over 95% of the D. occidentale plants contained all four D. occidentale specific STS markers, whereas the remaining plants contained three of the four STS markers. Approximately 97% of D. barbeyi plants contained all three D. barbeyi specific STS markers, and the rest had two of the three STS markers. A small percentage of D. barbeyi plants contained one D. occidentale specific STS marker. Hybrid populations were characterized as having more D. occidentale specific than D. barbeyi specific STS markers, suggesting that the three hybrid populations are composed not of F1 hybrid plants of the parental species but of segregating offspring of different generations from original hybrids. This set of STS and CAPS markers for larkspur species should be useful in classification of unknown plant materials and the identification of hybrid populations.Key words: poisonous plants, RAPD, molecular marker, PCR.