2022 Volume 21 Issue 4 Pages 391-399
Fifty-two local Japanese chili pepper varieties (Capsicum annuum) were subjected to polymorphism analysis using the RAPD method to analyze their genetic relationships. The phylogenetic tree based on the UPGMA method was classified into five clusters (I–V) with two subclusters in cluster IV. Clusters I and II consisted of four varieties from the ‘Fushimi’ variety group in Kyoto and ‘Kenzaki Namban’ from Ishikawa, cluster III consisted of upward-fruiting varieties for spice, and subcluster IV-a consisted of varieties developed for ornamental use and varieties with characteristic fruit colors, while sub-cluster IV-b, which consisted of the largest number of cultivars, was composed of a mixture of various fruit types. The remaining cluster V was composed of bell-blocky type large-fruited varieties. As the result, analogical and genetic relationships of Japanese local chili pepper varieties were revealed, and some of them were consistent with historical facts in the literature.
