Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2021, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (1): 10-24.DOI: 10.11983/CBB20014

• EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Quantitative Definition and Classification of Leaves in Large- flowered Chinese Chrysanthemum Based on the Morphological Traits

Xuebin Song1,2, Kang Gao1, He Huang1, Zhilan Liu1, Silan Dai1,*(), Yu Ji1   

  1. 1Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design; Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Flower Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Flower Engineering Technology Research Center, College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    2College of Landscape Architecture and Forestry, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
  • Received:2020-02-02 Accepted:2020-11-11 Online:2021-01-01 Published:2021-01-15
  • Contact: Silan Dai

Abstract: The leaf morphology of Chinese traditional chrysanthemum varieties is very variable, but it has not been scientifically defined and classified, so it is impossible to make effective use of these morphological traits for variety identification and genetic analysis. The definition and classification of plant morphology by quantitative analysis is the premise of genetic analysis of plant traits. In this study, 24 leaf traits of 436 chrysanthemum varieties were re-defined and measured. The correlation analysis identified 8 relatively independent traits, and principal component analysis further focused on 5 key traits, including the leaf blade length/leaf blade width, widest part length/leaf blade length, right lower leaf lobe length/leaf vein length of right lower lobe, right lower leaf lobe length/right lower leaf lobe width, leaf petiole length/leaf blade length. The leaf shapes were classified into 16 types by Q clustering analysis. This study established a quantitative definition and classification system for the leaves of Chinese traditional chrysanthemum varieties. It provided an effective leaf evaluation standard for the identification of chrysanthemum varieties, and a new method for the analysis of complex traits of ornamental plants.

Key words: Chinese chrysanthemum, leaf shape, morphological traits, quantitative definition, classification