The Butia genus (Arecaceae) is a small genus with subtropical species distributed in South America widely used as an ornamental plant. Besides, its fruits are appreciated for its unique flavor and aroma. But in some regions in Rio Grande do Sul State natural populations suffer with progress of building and rural activities. The aim of this study, therefore, was characterizing eight populations of Butia capitata through AFLP markers. By analysis of molecular variance was possible to verify that 83.68% of genetic variability is attributed to variation among populations and 13.67% is attributed to differences among populations within regions. In the pair-wise analysis, differences between 15 populations were significant, with an average of 14.72% of molecular variation attributed to differences between populations. This result indicates the presence of genetic variability distributed among all populations, without subdivision arising from geographical isolation.
palms; genetic divergence; genetic resources; molecular markers
