Biosystematics and molecular characterization of three biotypes of Convolvulus arvensis L. (convolvolaceae) in Marsa Matrouh, Egypt

The notable characteristic of phenoplasticity in Convolvulus species is flower color polymorphism, with blooms ranging from white to pink. This variation is due to various factors, including genetic drift and natural selection. The primary objective is to conduct a study on the morphoplasticity of eight accessions collected from diverse locations and categorized into three distinct biotypes based on floral pigmentation: Biotype 1 (White; accessions 1, 4, and 7), Biotype 2 (Pale Pink; accessions 2, 5, and 8), and Biotype 3 (Pink; accessions 3 and 6) of Convolvulus arvensis L. Based on the aforementioned characteristics—flower colour, stem outline, leaf shape, pollen features, shape, colpus and pori shapes, epidermal cell shape, and the number of vascular bundles in both stem and petiole—the study employed morphological and anatomical studies, as well as CDDP markers, to evaluate differences among accessions. Leaf tissues are parenchyma above the main vascular bundle, with an angle between the midrib and the wing region. Three distinct biotypes (B1, B2, and B3) have been defined. CDDP marker analysis revealed high polymorphism (74.36%) and Rp (9.50). Samples 7 and 8 (location 3) showed the most informative polymorphism of flower color (white/pale pink/pink). Genetic distances clustered samples primarily by location rather than by color, underscoring the dominant role of location in structuring populations. The interaction between genotype and ecological conditions led to the genetic variation in flower color in C. arvensis.