Four tropical, closely related fern species belonging to the genus Adiantum L. are genetically distinct as revealed by ISSR fingerprinting.

The level and pattern of genetic variation was analyzed in four species of the fern genus Adiantum L., A. hispidulum Sw., A. incisum Forrsk., A. raddianum C.Presl, and A. zollingeri Mett. ex Kuhn, originating from South India, using the ISSR fingerprinting method. The populations of Adiantum possessed a considerable level of genetic variation, the diversity indices ranging from 0.284 to 0.464. Only 12% of the ISSR markers found were restricted to one species only, and 54% were detected in all four species. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 71.1% of variation was present within populations. The proportion of variation detected among species was only 18.5% while the proportion of variation among populations within species equalled 10.4%. Despite the low level of intrageneric differentiation, the discriminant analysis and clustering of genetic distances indicated that the four Adiantum species are genetically distinct. The F(ST) values calculated for the species were low, varying from 0.089 to 0.179. No linkage disequilibrium was detected between the loci. Such low level of differentiation among populations and the presence of linkage equilibrium reflect that the life history of Adiantum ferns apparently involves common or relatively common sexuality, effective wind-dispersal of spores and outcrossing.