Genetic diversity in the endangered lily Harperocallis flava and a close relative, Tofieldia racemosa

We examined genetic diversity in 464 individuals of The monotypic lily Harperocallis flava in its two habitats (seepage bogs and a roadside right-of-way) and five populations of a co-occurring related lily, Tofieldia racemosa. The endangered H. flava, endemic to the Apalachicola lowlands of the Florida panhandle, was monomorphic for the 22 loci scored In contrast T. racemosa had a high proportion of polymorphic loci (P-s = 68.2%; P-p = 47.7%) with moderate genetic diversity (H-es = 0.134; H-ep = 0.114). Estimated gene flow was moderately high (Nm = 2.07) for T racemosa, with most (93%) of the total genetic diversity found within populations. Despite the low level of genetic divergence, some isolation by distance was detected among T. racemosa populations. Harperocallis flava and other species without discernable genetic variation pose special problems for conservation biologists because genetic criteria are riot available for the development of ex situ and in situ conservation and management strategies.