Chloroplast biosystematics: chloroplast DNA as a molecular probe.

The classification of plants has traditionally been dependent upon the comparative analysis of morphological and biochemical data. In this paper the use of molecular probe analysis of chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) is used to expand the data base used in taxonomic studies. Chloroplast DNA size, homogeneity, the global arrangement of ctDNA structure, gene content, gene cluster array and gene sequence determination are discussed as useful criteria in the analysis of phylogenetic relationships.