Background:

Lobelia villaregalis is an endemic and endangered species in Jalisco, Mexico. Knowing the structure and genetic diversity of populations of species at risk can contribute to improving strategies for their conservation. This information has not been generated for L. villaregalis.

Questions:

1) Does L. villaregalis present low levels of genetic diversity?, 2) Are there genetic differences between its populations?.

Studied species:

Lobelia villaregalis T.J. Ayers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), herbaceous perennial.

Study site and dates:

During 2018-2020, field work was carried out in El Bosque La Primavera Natural Protected Area, in Zapopan, Jalisco, in order to locate new populations of the species and collect leaf material.

Methods:

The diversity and genetic structure of 87 individuals in five populations were evaluated using ISSR molecular markers.

Results:

The average genetic diversity of L. villaregalis is low (He = 0.057, P = 48.17 %, I = 0.110) as well as the total diversity (HT = 0.069). Molecular analysis of variance showed that most of the genetic variation (92 %) occurred within populations. The Mantel test indicates that there is no correlation between the genetic distances and the geographical distances for the five populations of the species (R = 0.64, P = 0.18). With the genetic assignment analysis, 4 groups were identified, however there is no genetic structure (GST = 0.060).

Conclusions:

Lobelia villaregalis requires urgent actions of conservation to maintain the genetic diversity present in all its populations, giving the highest priority to three of them.

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