Development and characterization of 11 microsatellite primers for the sedge Trichophorum planifolium (Cyperaceae)1

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite loci were developed for Trichophorum planifolium (Cyperaceae), an endangered woodland sedge protected under federal and provincial legislation in Canada, to explore patterns of population genetic diversity and differentiation in the species. METHODS AND RESULTS Sixty-three primer pairs were evaluated for amplification consistency and screened for polymorphisms in 96 samples collected from 12 populations of T. planifolium distributed through the range of the species. Of these, 11 loci were shown to be polymorphic, displaying two to six alleles. Mean observed heterozygosity across loci ranged from 0.00 to 0.06 among populations tested. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the 11 primer pairs developed in this study will be useful for future studies of broad-scale genetic variation in T. planifolium and in guiding management protocols for the species in Canada.