Multilocus genetic structure at contrasted spatial scales of the endangered water fern Marsilea strigosa willd. (Marsileaceae, Pteridophyta)

Marsilea strigosa (Marsileaceae, Pterydophyta) is a rare water fern found in the Mediterranean basin, in temporary flooded habitats only. We analyzed the level and the distribution of genetic variation at seven microsatellite loci, both at the Mediterranean scale and at a narrower scale within a highly fragmented French metapopulation. Genetic diversity among individuals within each pond suggests that M. strigosa reproduces predominantly through selfing. The very high population differentiation at the Mediterranean scale indicates that gene flow (if any) is highly restricted. Similar differentiation is also found at the scale of a single metapopulation. The distribution of multilocus genotypes suggests that the genetic variation in this species is maintained mainly through the interplay of mutation and low recombination.