ITS sequence-based identification and utilization evaluation of “Nanjiang” (Lonicera similis Hemsl.), a local cultivar in Sichuan, China

The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was employed to analyze phylogeny of 20 populations, including the local cultivar “Nanjiang”, belonging to 7 species of Lonicera L. 20 ITS sequences that we obtained range from 614 to 618 bp, and the G+C content was higher than 60% with the average value 63.5%. The sequences of 5.8S nrDNA was highly conservative in both length and component, while ITS2 had more variation than ITS1 in sequence...