Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : The genetic variability of 46 accessions of the Lima bean (P. lunatus L.) including 16 wild forms and 30 landraces belonging to the three cultigroups Big lima, Sieva, Potato, and their intermediates, was evaluated using RAPD (Random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers. Twelve oligonucleotide primers produced 172 RAPD markers which allowed the differentiation of two main groups: the mesoamerican and the andean groups. This was confirmed by an AMOVA analysis which indicated that 37.7% of the variation was found between these two groups. For each botanical form (wild and cultivated), the molecular markers showed that small-seeded types (i.e. Sieva and Potato types and their related wild forms) had a wide distribution (from Mexico to Argentina) while the large-seeded types (Big lima type and its related wild forms) were circumscribed to the narrow west-coastal region from Ecuador to Bolivia. The results are in favour of an independent domestication process within the two groups, as the differentiation between mesoamerican and andean accessions was found to occur in both wild forms and landraces. Within each of the two main groups, wild forms and landraces were also found to be genetically differentiated and higher genetic diversity was observed among landraces than among wild forms. Within the mesoamerican landraces, low but significant differentiation between the Sieva and Potato cultigroups was observed. Some suggestions and hypotheses are discussed about evolution of the two small-seeded types.