Heliconia phenotypic diversity based on qualitative descriptors

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to characterize Heliconia genotypes phenotypically using 26 qualitative descriptors. The evaluations were conducted in five flowering stems per clump in three replicates of 22 Heliconia genotypes. Data were subjected to multivariate analysis, the Mahalanobis dissimilarity measure was estimated, and the dendrogram was generated using the nearest neighbor method. From the values generated by the dissimilarity matrix and the clusters formed among the Heliconia genotypes studied, the phenotypic characterizations that best differentiated the genotypes were: pseudostem and wax green tone (light or dark green), leaf-wax petiole, the petiole hair, cleft margin at the base of the petiole, midrib underside shade of green, wax midrib underside, color sheet (light or dark green), unequal lamina base, torn limb, inflorescence-wax, position of inflorescence, bract leaf in apex, twisting of the rachis, and type of bloom. These results will be applied in the preparation of a catalog for Heliconia descriptors, in the selection of different genotypes with most 3129 ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 13 (2): 3128-3142 (2014) Descriptors of Heliconia phenotypic diversity promising characteristics for crosses, and for the characterization of new genotypes to be introduced in germplasm collections.

Morphological Characterization in Wild Species of <i>Heliconias</i> (<i>Heliconia</i> spp) in Mexico

“…Guimarães et al [13] registered the presence of wax in pseudostem on H. bihai whilst Costa et al [21] reported a bigger length in the inflorescence. This variation can be highly influenced by the environment since temperature conditions and rainfalls vary from 26˚C to 1, 968 mm [20].…”

“…Group III (GIII) was integrated by five accessions, which are easily distinguishable for presenting wax in the limb [13], leaf growth in an oblique position, pubescence on inflorescence, undulated rachis, and a helicoidal arrangement in the bracts. Accession C1 was associated to this group due to the short size of the plant, which is probably in response to where the characterization was carried out [20].…”

“…Guimaraes et al [13] for example, utilized 45 qualitative morphological descriptors of pseudostem, leaf, inflorescence, and flower to differentiate interspecific species and hybrids of heliconias from Brazil.…”

“…Within the Heliconia genera, morphological characterization has been used to differentiate interspecific cultivars and hybrids [1] [13]. Guimaraes et al [13] for example, utilized 45 qualitative morphological descriptors of pseudostem, leaf, inflorescence, and flower to differentiate interspecific species and hybrids of heliconias from Brazil.…”

Genetic diversity and morphological characterization of half-sib families of Heliconia bihai L., H. chartacea Lane ex Barreiros, and H. wagneriana Peterson

“…Morphologic descriptors have been frequently employed for the determination of phenotypic diversity and to differentiate some Heliconia cultivars and interspecific hybrids (Berry and Kress, 1991;Loges et al, 2007;Costa et al, 2009;Guimarães et al, 2014). These descriptors are usually multi-categorical and qualitative, related to plant structural features and morphology, or even binary when referring to the absence or presence of a certain characteristic (Guimarães et al, 2014).…”