MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME COLLECTED NATIVE PURSLANE (PORTULACA OLERACEA L.) GENOTYPES

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), an annual herb commonly found across various regions of the world, is often considered either a weed or a valuable vegetable crop. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological variation among ten purslane genotypes collected from different regions of Iran. The trial was conducted in a greenhouse environment via a completely randomized scheme with four replicates, during which eleven traits were assessed. The genotype × trait interaction biplot model accounted for 90% of the observed variability, revealing four distinct genotypic groups. Notably, the Mashhad genotype exhibited the highest values for the flower number per branch, dry shoot weight, fresh shoot weight, branch number of the main stem, and the number of seeds per capsule. A positive correlation was observed among the flower number per plant, capsule number per branch, and flower number per branch, while these traits were negatively associated with main stem length, leaf length, and leaf width. The Mashhad genotype, along with those from Bandar-Abbas and Parsabad, demonstrated superior performance and distinctiveness, with the number of seeds per capsule and the number of branches on the main stem showing the highest discriminative potential. When evaluating dry shoot weight, the Mashhad genotype, followed by those from Parsabad and Bandar-Abbas, emerged as the most desirable, whereas the genotypes from Ardabil and Sirjan were the least desirable in this characteristic. The significant diversity identified among these purslane genotypes could be instrumental in enhancing the breeding of this crop for specific target traits.