PCR methods for the Distinction of some Wild and Cultivated species of Bauhinia

The genus Bauhinia L., is very variable in its habit and includes trees, lianas, and shrubs. These plants are very popular in warm regions for their gorgeous, orchid-like blossoms. The flowers exhibit enormous color variations both within and between the species. In India there are about 38 species, distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of the country. There are a number of distinct species of Bauhinia in India, but there are also a few species with unclear taxonomic position and delimitation since many are commonly grouped together and referred to as �Hong Kong orchid tree�. In the present study, ten accessions belonging to eight species of the genus Bauhinia L., (viz. B. accuminata L., B. blakeana Dunn., B. hookeri Muell., B. purpurea L., B. racemosa Lam., B. rufescens Lam., B. vahlii Wight & Arn., and B. variegata L., along with an outgroup caesalpinioideae taxon, Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb., commonly occurring in India, were analyzed using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods such as RAPD and DAMD. A pair wise matrix of distances between genotypes was determined for the cumulative band data from the two methods based on Jaccard�s similarity coefficients to establish inter-species affinities and relationships in these taxa. At the inter-species level, both methods resolved the species into discrete groups. However, the NJ dendrogram for the cumulative data was more informative and separated the taxa more efficiently.