Seyed Reza Tabaei-Aghdaei - Biotechnology Research Department of Natural Resources, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, P.O. Box ۱۳۱۸۵-۱۱۶, Tehran, Iran.
Hossein Hosseini Monfared - Zanjan Province Natural Resources Office, Zanjan, Iran.
Hamid Fahimi - Depaetment of Biology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
Hassan Ebrahimzade - Depaetment of Biology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
Maryam Jebelly - Biotechnology Research Department of Natural Resources, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, P.O. Box ۱۳۱۸۵-۱۱۶, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Reza Naghavi - Department of Plant Breeding, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
Alireza Babaei - Department of Horticultural Science, Tabiat Modares University(TMU), Tehran, Iran.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers have been used to characterize the genetic diversity among ۱۲ Damask rose landraces from northwest of Iran. The ۲۲ primers used in this study amplified ۲۶۲ scorable RAPD loci among which ۱۸۰ were polymorphic (۶۷%). The average number of bands was ۱۱.۹ for each primer. Genetic similarity calculated from the RAPD data ranged from ۰.۲۶۱ to ۰.۹۹۵ with an average of ۰.۶۳. A dendrogram was prepared on the basis of a similarity matrix using the UPGMA algorithm and separated the ۱۲ landraces into two groups. There was a good correspondence between genetic divergence and climate condition, though some landraces (such as L۲ and L۳) with diverse geographical condition were clustered in one group. The results showed a possible application of RAPD markers in assessment of genetic diversity in Rosa damascena landraces.

Rosa damascena Mill, genetic similarity, RAPD analysis