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Eucommia ulmoides, the only species of Eucommiaceae, has been used as Chinese medicinal plant for more than 2,000 years, and is endangered as a consequence of long-term overexploitation. In this study, genetic diversity within and among the semi-wild and cultivated populations of E. ulmoides collected from its main production area was investigated using two cpSSR and 227 AFLP loci. A moderate level of within-population diversity was observed (hS = 0.549 for cpSSR and H eB = 0.183 for AFLPs), which could be explained by the dioecious breeding system, longevity, and human mediated seed exchange. Compared to the semi-wild population, the cultivated population possessed relatively low genetic diversity, which suggests cultivation practice may have reduced the genetic diversity of E. ulmoides. Populations were low to moderately differentiated from one another (G ST = 0.281 for cpSSR, and θ B = 0.100 for AFLPs), which was also supported by the AMOVA analysis that 62.52 and 83.48 % total variation resided within populations based on cpSSR and AFLP analysis, respectively. An isolation by distance analysis revealed that geographical distances was not significantly correlated with genetic distance. Human activities such as seed selection and seed exchange could account for the genetic structure of cultivated populations. In addition, two genetic clusters were detected by the Structure analysis. For conservation purpose, an ex situ conservation measure for conserving the genetically distant populations to maximize genetic diversity of the species is recommended.

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from an AC-enriched genomic library of Akebia trifoliate ssp. australis. The number of allele per locus ranged from 3 to 14. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity at population level were 0.196–1.000 and 0.522–0.902, respectively. In addition, this set of microsatellites produced robust cross-species amplification in other two related taxa, suggesting these microsatellite markers should provide a useful tool for genetic and conservation studies of the Akebia species.

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered fern Adiantum reniforme var. sinense were developed and characterized using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences Containing repeats (FIASCO) protocol. Polymorphism of each locus was assessed in a bulked sample of 30 individuals from 8 natural populations. The number of alleles per locus varied from 2 to 11, with an average value of 6.2. The ranges of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.000–0.895 and 0.226–0.868, respectively. These microsatellite markers provide useful tools for the ongoing conservation genetic studies of Adiantum reniforme var. sinense.

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from an AC-enriched genomic library of Liriodendron chinense (Magnoliaceae). The average allele number of these microsatellites was 5.2 per locus, ranging from three to eight. The observed and expected heterozygosity at population level were 0.07–1.00 and 0.10–0.83, respectively. These sets of microsatellites will be useful for studies of population genetic structure of L. chinense and L. tulipifera as well as to estimate fine-scale gene flow rates.