Development of ten polymorphic microsatellite markers for Scabiosa canescens Waldst. & Kit. (Dipsacaceae)

We developed ten polymorphic microsatellite markers for the herbaceous species Scabiosa canescens Waldst. & Kit. The species is currently not assessed under the IUCN Red List but has been declining historically due to intensification in agriculture and is recently declining due to habitat loss caused by agricultural abandonment of steppe-like dry grasslands. The microsatellite loci were tested for polymorphism on DNA templates extracted from 26 specimens collected across the species’ range in Germany. Across the ten loci, two to eight alleles were detected with an observed and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.192 to 0.769 and 0.265 to 0.768, respectively. These newly developed markers provide a valuable tool for population genetic investigations required to design effective conservation measures.