Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of Chrysanthemum Cultivars Using SSR Markers

Chrysanthemums are undoubtedly one of the most popular flowering plants in the world. Their exceptional importance in Asian culture resulted in the global popularization of this species, which resulted in the high interest of breeders. Chrysanthemums can be divided into three groups: small-flowered, mid-flowered, and large-flowered. The exceptional economic importance and a large number of varieties make them problematic to identify, resulting in a less efficient breeding process. In the case of chrysanthemums, genotypes are almost impossible to distinguish by using phenotypic methods due to the high variation in morphological characteristics, even when they belong to the same group. The aim of the study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of 97 chrysanthemum cultivars using 14 selected SSR markers. Large-flowered varieties (Angali and Rosee D’une) were characterized by the smallest mutual distance, and the greatest distance was between large-flowered (Impact Rood) and small-flowered (Conaco Yellow) varieties. All methods of visualizing the results reveal a clear distinctiveness of small-flowered cultivars, except for the cultivars from the Moira series.