Molecular genetic study of the genus HERACULUM: Theoretical and applied aspects

The aim of the work is to identify phylogenetic relationships within the genus Heraculum, to assess the possibility of applying the knowledge gained to solve practical problems, in particular, to clarify the volume of weed species of hogweed. The material consisted of 102 specimens of the genus Heraculum collected in the European part of Russia (from the territory of the North Caucasus to the Arctic), and 14 herbarium specimens of various species of hogweed. DNA polymorphism was analyzed using ISSR markers, RAPD markers, and ITS-2 region sequencing. This analysis brought clarity to the aspects of the species diversity of hogweed in the studied territories. Thanks to the analysis of the NCBI database and sequencing of the ITS-2 region of the samples of the studied Heraculum populations, we found that most of the samples are related to the group of giant hogweed. A cluster of samples genetically close to Sosnovsky hogweed has been identified, which are divided into two subclusters, one of which probably contains interspecific hybrids, and the other contains samples similar specifically to H. sosnowskyi. The latter are estimated to be less than 30%. As a result of the RAPD analysis, it was shown that among the studied representatives of the genus Heraculum, there is a high genetic heterogeneity of giant hogweed in the North-West of the European part of Russia and their tendency to form interspecific hybrids. The data obtained indicate that without careful analysis, up to identification at the DNA level, areas of infestation with giant hogweed plants may be mistakenly attributed to the distribution areas of Sosnovsky hogweed. An express verification method (as a possible arbitration method) using a highly polymorphic ISSR marker is proposed to identify “disputed” samples. A specific case study is presented to check for the presence of H. sosnowskyi hogweed in the territory subject to control of the spread of this species, which showed the absence of H. sosnowskyi among the “controversial” samples of hogweed.