MORPHOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF GENUS ERIOBOTRYA LINDL. (ROSACEAE) - M. Idrees; M. L. Pathak; N. H. Memon; S. Khan; Z. Y. Zhang2 and X. F. Gao1 (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2021)
Morphometric analysis based on 40 morphological (quantitative and qualitative) characters were used to evaluate the patterns of morphological variations and to better understand the taxonomic relationship of the whole genus of Eriobotrya. Cluster analysis, principal component analysis and principal coordinate analysis were performed for both quantitative and qualitative morphological characters. Result of factor analysis revealed that leaf blade length and width, bract shape, bract length and width, sepal length, petal length and width, petal state, style number, fruit length and width were highly positive significant, whereas pedicel length and style state were highly negative significant. Cluster analysis revealed that all the taxa of the genus grouped into 4 clusters. Cluster 1 included 18 taxa (E. bengalensis, E. bengalensis var. angustifolia, E. bengalensis var. intermedia, E. stipularis, E. dubia, E. serrata, E. obovata, E. poilanei, E. elliptica var. petelotii, E. longifolia, E. angustifolia, E. petiolata, E. deflexa, E. deflexa var. buisanensis, E. kwangsiensis, E. fulvicoma, E. cavaleriei and E. glabrescens). Cluster II included 16 taxa (E. henryi, E. seguinii, E. hookeriana, E. japonica, E. × daduheensis, E. malipoensis, E. elliptica, E. grandiflora, E. fragrans, E. fragrans var. furfuracea, E. prinoides, E. prinoides var. laotica, E. salwinensis, E. tengyuehensis, E. latifolia and E. glabrescens var. victoriensis). Two species (E. wardii and E. platyphylla) formed a distinct cluster and considered to be doubtful to the genus. The quantitative and qualitative characters studies will be particularly useful for further identification and systematic of the genus Eriobotrya.
Keywords: journal article; Cluster analysis; Eriobotrya; morphometric analysis; species; systematic; taxonomy