DNA barcoding is a technique of species identification by using standardized DNA sequence. This technique represents a challenge in the taxonomic approaches avoiding the need of exact knowledge of morphology, particularly when diagnostic morphological features are absent. There has been a considerable debate regarding a locus choice for standard barcode of land plants. Two-locus plastome sequences have been recommended by Plant working group of CBOL for plant barcode: rbcL and matK. The future purposes of this technique suggest using it instead of simple replacement of morphological data to identification of newly found species, recognizing species boundaries and cryptic species, or determination illegally obtained organisms and material even in cases where diagnostic features have been artificially modified.

Botanický ústav AV ČR Průhonice