Phenetic Analysis and Morphological Traits Evaluation of Convolvulus L. from Flora of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Species of Convolvulus show extensive morphological variation that complicates taxonomic identification. Numerical and multivariate analyses are therefore important tools for assessing phenetic relationships and morphological diversity within the genus. The goal of the current investigation is to comprehend the patterns of morphological variation among species within the genus Convolvulus using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and phenetic clustering. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was accustomed to evaluate morphological variation in eighteen Convolvulus genera. Fifty two morphological characteristics, including 126 character states, were analyzed. PCA revealed that 47.55% of the variation was explained by the first two categories, with corolla color, stem strength, leaf shape and fruit surface making the most contribution. According to UPGMA clustering, genus Convolvulus divided into six phenetic groups at 0.06 taxonomic distance. Overall, the PCA results demonstrate that herbarium-based morphological data provide sufficient resolution to detect major patterns of variation within Convolvulus. The combination of vegetative and reproductive traits captured by the first two principal components effectively summarizes morphological diversity and supports their use in taxonomic and systematic interpretations.