Abstract: The genetic diversity of Eomecon chionantha Hance populations in five different habitats, namely, bamboo forest, evergreen broad-leaved forest, shrubs, conifer and broad-leaved forest and fir forest, was analyzed by polymorphic DNA technique. Sixteen primers were selected from 50 random primers amplified 180 fragments in 90 individuals of E.chionantha, in which 156 segments were polymorphic. The rate of polymorphism was 85.56%. By Shannon index, the ratio of genetic diversity among 5 populations was 31.50%, the Nei’s genetic differentiation index was 0.302 9. Results from two indices showed that genetic variation among populations was the small part of the genetic diversity. Most of the genetic variation existed within populations. The number of migrants per generation was 1.150 8. The matrix for five populations displayed that: genetic distance between Ciping population and Jingzhushan population was 0.234 9; the highest genetic identity was 0.886 1 between Liping population and Shuikou population. The dendrogram based on Nei’s genetic identity clustered by UPMGA showed the same result: the genetic distance within populations was significantly related to the altitude and environmental heterogeneity by survival space.

Key words: genetic diversity, RAPD, genetic differentiation, Eomecon chionantha Hance