摘要：A preliminary assessment of the genetic variation present in 12 provenances of Sabal mexicana Mart. from western Nicaragua was carried out using random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs). Of the 42 bands generated by six primers in a sample of 44 individuals, 92.8% were polymorphic. The provenances with the highest polymorphism were El Limonal (82.8%) and Santa Rosa (78.8%). The grouping of samples according to their genetic similarity revealed high genetic diversity among them (25% similarity). Most of the samples were grouped independently of their geographic origin, which is most likely due to the small size of the samples used (maximum of 5); however, it could also be the result of the small number of primers (6), or the presence of greater genetic variation within populations than among populations.pace..
