Genetic diversity and morphological variation in wild Silene compacta Fischer genotypes from Türkiye

Silene compacta Fischer ex Hornem., a member of Caryophyllaceae family, is a wild plant with significant ornamental and ecological value, now threatened by habitat loss and climate change. This study assessed the genetic diversity of 40 S. compacta genotypes collected from four—geographically distinct regions of Türkiye (Bolu, İzmir, Isparta, and Nevşehir) using 26 morphological traits and 10 inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers. Principal Component Analysis of morphological data grouped the genotypes into five clusters, with the first two components explaining 61.5% of the total variation. ISSR analysis generated 145 bands, of which 140 were polymorphic and 5 monomorphic. The polymorphism rate in ISSR markers ranged between 86.67% and 100%, demonstrating substantial genetic diversity among the tested genotypes. The discriminatory power of ISSR primers was evaluated using polymorphism information content, with a mean value of 0.39, indicating a moderately high level of informativeness and allelic diversity among populations. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis of morphological traits revealed strong positive associations among floral and foliar parameters (r = 0.70–0.92, p < 0.01), confirming a high degree of morphological integration and developmental coordination within populations. While UPGMA and neighbor-joining dendrograms confirmed the genetic divergence among regional populations, complete regional separation was not observed, possibly due to the dominant nature of ISSR markers. Morphological and genetic data were not always congruent, indicating both environmental influence and underlying genetic variation. This integrated approach provides valuable insights into the genetic structure of S. compacta, for developing effective conservation strategies and guiding the management strategies and sustainable utilization of genetic resources.