Molecular sleuthing: The invader Cynodon case

DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) was used to characterize different Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. cultivars and accessions and evaluate the genetic diversity among them. DAF analyses of some well known cultivars used in South Africa, i.e. Sahara, Tifway, Tifgreen, Harrismith, Royal Blue, Silverton Blue, Elliott, Tifdwarf, Gulf Green, Magennis, Klip, Florida, Oval, Bayview, Bermuda, X Kweek, Natal Kweek and Tifton 78, as well as 23 unknown Cynodon specimens were done. The unknown Cynodon specimens represent invaders of cultivated lands, with considerable morphological variation. The results were used to determine the genetic distances between the cultivars and unknown accessions, to identify the unknown specimens and to determine the phylogenetic affinities between the cultivars and accessions. The results obtained from the genetic distance matrices confirmed the results obtained from the phylogenetic analyses. In this study DAF analyses was successfully used to distinguish between different C. dactylon cultivars and accessions and could be used to trace the current weed back to its introduction area. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.