Identification of some Gnetum spp. (Gnetaceae) in Southern Vietnamese by DNA barcode

Gnetum is a tropical forest gymnosperm genus with about 47 species [1] are accepted by ‘The Plant list’, [1] and distribute in tropical forest around the world. In Vietnam, there are about 9 species and varieties are recorded. However, some of them were not included in ‘The Plant List’. Some are medicinally used in Vietnamese traditional medicine. Recent chemical and bioactivity studies on some of them revealed interesting results for future applications in health care. In Southern Vietnam, Gnetum gnemon L. var griffithii Markgr., Gnetum gnemon L. var tenerum Markgr.,Gnetum macrostachyum Hook.f., Gnetum leptostachyum Blume var. elongatum Markgr., Gnetum leptostachyum Blume var. latifolium Markgr., Gnetum latifolium Blume var. funiculare (Bl,) Markgr., Gnetum macrostachyum Hook f., Gnetum montanum Gnetum montanum Makrg. var macrocarpum Makgr. are recorded [2].

Due to the lack of detail information for plant identification, it is difficult to distinguish between species based only on their morphological characteristics. This study was conducted to use DNA barcodes as additional information to accurately identify Gnetum species in Southern Vietnam. 4 Gnetum samples, collected in Hon Son island, Kien Giang province (GL1, GL2, GL3) and Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City (GL4) were used for morphological, anatomical investigation and DNA barcode determination. Results revealed that 4 samples GL1, GL2, GL3 and GL4 are Gnetum parvifolium (Warb.) W.C.Cheng, Gnetum latifolium Blume, Gnetum ula Brongn.and Gnetum montanum Markgr.,respectively, with DNA uniformity rate up to 99%. This is the first time Vietnamese Gnetum ula has been recorded in Vietnam.

• References

• 1 The Plant List. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Gnetum (Accessed 2019 –05).
• 2 Pham Hoang Ho. An illustrated flora of Vietnam, Mekong Printing, 1991; 265-268