Characterization of willow (Salix spp.) clones on the basis of morphological descriptors

Abstract

Willows (Salix species) are vegetatively grown in short-rotation coppice and have the potential to produce a high yield in multiple harvests. Salix species easily hybridize in nature, which proves to be a rich source of variability for tree improvement programs. The recently developed hybrids, introduced clones/species, and local germplasm of willow in India were screened for quantitative and qualitative traits. There was significant variation between clones and non-significant variation between years for leaf and stipule characters. The distinct expressions of the leaf, stem, branch, and stipule traits were used to categorize the clones. As per Ward’s clustering method, two groups of clones were obtained, separating UHFS039, UHFS353, and UHFS370 clones having peculiar types of stipules from others. The clones with similar genetic homogeneity were grouped into one cluster, suggesting that many of the studied traits had common alleles. The findings of this study will be beneficial in identifying a clone/variety and grouping those clones into different categories for each trait.