Abstract: The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was applied to assess the genetic diversity and structure of four populations of two varieties of Paris polyphylla. As a control, a population of P. cronquistii was compared with the four P. polyphylla populations to determine their phylogenetic relationships. Using 16 random primers, a total of 246 RAPD polymorphic loci were detected. At the population level, the percentage of polymorphic loci (PPB) of two populations of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was 57.4% and 54.67%, while Shannon information index (I) was 0.3080 and 0.2830, respectively. The PPB of two P. polyphylla var. chinensis populations was 56.33% and 57.75%, while Shannon information index (I) were 0.3080 and 0.3293, respectively. At the variety level, the PPB, I and G_st values of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were 75.14%, 0.3922, and 0.3085, respectively, while those of P. polyphylla var. chinensis was 80.31%, 0.3992, and 0.3726, respectively. At the species level, the PPB was 92.05%, and G_st was 0.5151. The UPGMA dendrogram showed that the two varieties of P. polyphylla are more related to each other than to P. cronquistii, which supports the previous treatment of P. polyphylla var.yunnanensis and P. polyphylla var. chinensis as two varieties within P. polyphylla based on gross morphology.

Key words: Rana catesbeiana, diet, stomach content, exotic species