XVI International Botanical Congess

Few population genetic studies have been conducted on parasitic angiosperms. Ten natural populations of Balanophora harlandi were studied. Compared to non-parasitic dioecious plants, allozyme variation was low at both population and species levels, but the extent of gene flow was consistent with the outcrossing system. Lack of allozyme polymorphism may lead to underestimation of genetic divergence among populations. High levelsof polymorphism and gene diversity exist at both RAPD and ISSR loci, and the pattern of population structure revealed by the two marker systems were concordant. Host availability/population size may influence genetic structure of parasitic plants through the effect on population size of parasites.