Microsatellite primers in Plantago virginica (Plantaginaceae), an invasive species with both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers

: Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed in Plantago virginica, an invasive species in China with both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers, to investigate its genetic structure and mating patterns. Fourteen novel microsatellite primer sets were designed, and the marker loci they amplified were characterized in 96 individuals from four populations. Eleven of these markers showed polymorphism and the number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six. AMOVA and STRUCTURE indicated that there were distinct patterns of genetic differentiation among the one invasive and three native US populations. These markers provide a useful tool for investigating genetic diversity in P. virginica and studying the mechanisms of invasion success.