Analysis of Phenotypic Diversity and Comprehensive Evaluation of 51 Helleborus L. Hybrid Individuals

<i>Helleborus orientalis</i> L. is a valuable winter-flowering and understory landscape plant, but its application and breeding are hindered by poor heat tolerance and the lack of a robust germplasm evaluation system. In this study, 51 <i>Helleborus</i> L. hybrid individuals obtained through manual open pollination were evaluated using coefficient of variation (CV), Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'), correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis to assess genetic diversity and ornamental value based on 17 phenotypic traits. The results showed rich phenotypic diversity among the hybrids. Quantitative traits showed CV ranging from 9.48% to 37.99% and H' between 0.77 and 1.51, with flower count and leaf length being the most variable. Qualitative traits had H' values from 0.52 to 1.55, with sepal color showing the highest diversity. Significant correlations were detected among heat tolerance, pest resistance, leaf and petiole length, as well as plant and flower form. PCA extracted six principal components accounting for 74.50% of cumulative variance. Cluster analysis classified the 51 germplasms into five groups. Using the AHP model, a comprehensive evaluation system was established, and 13 elite individuals were selected for variety rights application and characterization. This study provides a reference for establishing DUS test guidelines and advancing breeding and utilization of <i>Helleborus</i> L.