Tagetes spp. contains about 50 species. Two commonly
used species are T. erecta L. and T. patula L. (The plant
list, 2010; Taylor, 2011). The diploid (2n ¼ 2x ¼ 24)
T. erecta L. is known as the African marigold and is tall
with large flowers, while the tetraploid (2n ¼ 4x ¼ 48)
T. patula L. is known as the French marigold and is
small with smaller flowers (Gilman, 2011; Taylor, 2011).
In recent years, molecular marker technology has
become a useful tool for generating new varieties
(Winter and Kahl, 1995; de Vicente et al., 2005). Additionally,
it is commercially important for the identification of
hybrid purity, genetic diversity and characterization of
varieties in germplasm that differentiate individual