The genetic diversity of selections and wild populations of myrtle revealed by molecular geographic contexts

Myrtus communis L. is an aromatic shrub widely diffused in the Mediterranean area. A growing interest for this species is due to its pharmacological and aromatic properties. This study explored the genetic diversity and population structure of 460 myrtle plants including 46 selections genotypes and 414 wild accessions from Sardinia using 14 SSR markers. Genetic diversity parameters showed that 10 markers were sufficiently polymorphic to move forward in the further analysis. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.21 (Porto Ferro) to 0.44 (Olia Speciosa), with an average value of 0.32. This parameter significantly varied considering the genetic origin of the plant (selections and natural), and the localization of the myrtle sampling sites (North, Center and South area) (P