XVI International Botanical Congess

Froelichia floridana (Amaranthaceae) is an annual herb native to sandy soils in the central and southeastern United States. A disjunct population of F. floridana in southeastern Ohio has been surveyed using ISSR markers and compared with populations across the species range to elucidate relationships and levels of genetic diversity. Analysis suggests a close relationship between Ohio and populations in the southern Mississippi River drainage which are closely allied with the eastern coastal plain. Levels of genetic diversity for the Ohio population are not significantly lower than that of less isolated populations. These findings suggest a once larger range of F. floridana extending north and east from the south-central United States.