Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for Euphorbia palustris (Euphorbiaceae).

Swamp spurge (Euphorbia palustris, Euphorbiaceae) is a large perennial species of wet grassland and swamps. Its natural habitats are fragmented and isolated both naturally and owing to habitat destruction by human activity. Thus the species is endangered and legally protected in Germany. This report describes seven novel polymorphic microsatellite loci that will be helpful to characterize genetic variation and to analyze the population genetic structure and levels of gene flow within and among populations. All loci were amplified within one multiplex polymerase chain reaction for two populations, yielding between 3 and 13 alleles per locus and high levels of heterozygosity. Trans-species amplification is reported for four Euphorbia species.