الفهرس 
Introduction
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Abstract
The principle goal of this study was to assess the genetic diversity within and among populations of three Mesembryanthemum species: M. crystallinum L., M. forsskaolii Hochst ex Bioss. and M. nodiflorum L.. Twelve populations of studied species were collected from five governorates (Port Said, Demiatta, El-Dakahlia, Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Beheira) along the Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The obtained results can be summarized as follow: 1- The investigated physiochemical characterization of the soil samples which were shown a little variation in values depending on the nature of different twelve sampled population sites. 2- The diploid chromosome number of M. crystallinum and M. forsskaolii was 2n = 18 while, M. nodiflorum had 2n= 36. All species populations have karyotype formula of mainly nearly metacentric chromosomes (nm), nearly sub metacentric (-) nsm (-) and few populations have metacentric (M). Different chromosomal abnormalities have been observed and their percentages were scored. 3- The protein profile of Mesembryanthemum species represented in18 bands with molecular weight ranged from 11.6 to 104.61 (KDa). Three isozyme systems (acid phosphatase (APH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and esterase (EST) exhibited nine loci in twelve populations of three studied Mesembryanthemum species. 4- The molecular analysis by using RAPD and ISSR techniques may be good tools in detecting the genetic variations and identifying of Mesembryanthemum species collected from different locations and RAPD marker was more efficient than the ISSR marker. 5- Comparing with other short-lived, outcrossing perennial species, M. crystallinum and M. nodiflorum exhibited within range genetic diversity. RAPD and ISSR markers exhibited lower genetic diversity for M. forsskaolii. 6- The levels of genetic diversity within and among nine populations of M. crystallinum were lower than the average value of diversity for annual widespread plants. Pop 8 exhibited the highest heterozygosity in all three estimates in all populations while, Pop6 recorded the lowest genetic diversity.