Abstract
Morphological variation is useful in conservation and genetic improvement programs. Euphorbia fulgens, a range-restricted local endemic species of Mexico, is used locally during the altars in the festivities of different saints and is also cultivated as an ornamental plant mainly in Europe. Thus, in the present study, morphological variation was evaluated in wild populations and cultivated populations. Characterization of 90 individuals from three wild populations (the only ones recorded to date) was done by measuring 30 morphological traits both vegetative and reproductive. Thereafter, seeds were collected, and established under greenhouse conditions, and 39 morphometric variables were evaluated in adult plants. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done for wild and cultivated groups independently, and when significant differences were found, Tukey’s comparison of means was applied (p < 0.05). To identify the traits responsible for the differences between wild and cultivated groups, a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was conducted. Morphological variation was found among wild populations, and this variation decreased in cultivated populations, mainly in reproductive structures. The LDA separated the wild populations from the cultivated groups, according to inflorescence length, petiole length/blade length ratio, and leaf roundness. The variables that determined the separation of individuals between wild and cultivated populations were cyme number, foliar Feret diameter, and inflorescence length, variables that can be important for breeding strategies and artificial selection.
Highlights
Morphological variation refers to the morphometric differences observed as a result of genetic aspects and environmental factors [1,2]
Studies in which morphological variation has been evaluated between cultivated ornamental plants and their wild relatives are scarce worldwide [11,12]
Between populations 1 and 2 there was a significant difference in 16 of the 30 morphometric variables studied. These differences correspond to 6 variables of vegetative structures and 10 of reproductive structures
Summary
Morphological variation refers to the morphometric differences observed as a result of genetic aspects and environmental factors [1,2]. Such variation has been studied in different species that have been subjected to diverse handling methods in situ and ex situ, such as agriculture, harvest, tolerance, induction, and protection [3,4,5,6]. Most research has focused on characterizing different genotypes of cultivated plants or with some level of handling [13,14,15,16]
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