Allozymes and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to measure genetic diversity within and divergence among species of Dendroseris (Asteraceae), a genus endemic to the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile. Genetic identities between species at allozyme loci range form 0.73 to 0.99, with species from the same subgenus having the highest identities. Dendroseris neriifolia has low identities with the other seven species examnined, which is concordant with other molecular data suggesting that it is a divergent element in the genus, including the subg. Rea where it is now placed.Species of Dendroseris are like many other insular endemics in having higher identities than most congeners of continental areas. In several instances, species with high similarities in RAPD banding patterns also have high genetic identities at allozyme loci, and relationships inferred from RAPD bands are more similar to results for morphology, chloroplast DNA restriction sites and ITS sequences than are those from allozyme allele frequencies. Levels of allozyme diversity in species of Dendroseris are low even when compared to other island endemics, and this may be a result of the very small population sizes for all species. RAPD markers are more sensitive than allozymes for distinguishing individuals within the same populations and species. Relative levels of diversity for allozymes and RAPD bands are similar for all taxa except one; this indicates that the two types of molecular markers are providing comparable estimates of relative genetic variation in these rare insular endemic species of Dendroseris.

Key words: allozymes, Dendorseris, islands, RAPD markers