Evaluation Of Morphological Traits In Common Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) Accessions For Growth And Dry Matter Production

Abstract

Abstract

Numerous plant species are being endangered due to increased urbanization and industrialization in this environment. Beneficial plant species must be identified, collected, and conserved for scientific purposes and for the benefit of people. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is one such cosmopolitan crop, having wide variation, is distributed throughout the world. The herb, usually identified as weed, is highly beneficial for humans due to its high nutritional profile and medicinal properties. Among the variations available in India, a total of 15 purslane accessions were identified, collected, and evaluated. The DMRT showed that the accessions have a high degree of variation in growth traits and dry matter content. Among the growth traits, plant height, number of branches and number of internodes have significant correlations. In regression studies, along with the above parameters, leaf area also showed significant relationship with dry matter production. Various purslane accessions scored higher mean for various traits, but as far as a dependent variable is concerned PA 12 was observed for highest dry matter production 18.90 g, which agrees with the predicted value 17.85 g indicates that growth parameters can greatly influence the dry matter accumulation in purslane.