Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
This research was conducted to study the cause and effect of morphological, physiological characters and some elements of camphorosma monspeliaca L. in natural habitat. Plant samples were collected by using 9 sampling plots at full flowering stage. Morphological traits including plant height, number of tillers, big and small diameter of the canopy cover, dry weight of plant shoots and dry weight of flowering shoots were measured. Soluble sugar content, proline, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chlorine and iron were also measured by using different methods. Correlation, factor analysis, stepwise and path analysis were used for identifying effective traits on shoot yield and essential oil percentage. The results showed that there was significant positive correlation between total shoot yield with number of tiller (r = 0.96**), canopy diameter 1 (r = 0.84*), canopy diameter 2 (r = 0.86**), flowering shoot yield (r = 0.79*), total chlorophyll 1 (r = 0.77*), chlorophyll b (r = 0.67*) and iron (r = 0.84*). There was significant negative correlation between total shoot yield with soluble sugars (r = -0.80**), proline (r = -0.88**), calcium (r = -0.70*) and chlorine r = -0.94**). Significant positive correlation was observed between flowering shoot yield with number of tillers, canopy diameters1 and 2, essential oil percentage, total chlorophyll 1 and iron. Essential oil percentage showed significant positive correlation with number of tiller (r = 0.79*), canopy diameters 1 (r = 0.79*), canopy diameters 2 (r = 0.83**), total shoot yield (r = 0.76*) and shoot flowering yield (r = 0.84**) shoot yield and iron (r = 0.86**). The results of factor analysis showed that first component with number of tillers, big and small canopy diameters, total shoot yield, flowering shoot yield, essential oil percentage and iron could justify more than 55% of total variance. The result of stepwise analysis on dependent variable (essential oil percentage) showed that iron and total shoot yield with a determination coefficient of 0.8048 were entered to the regression model. The result of path analysis showed that iron had the highest direct positive effect on essential oil percentage. According to the results of stepwise analysis, number of tillers and plant height were entered to the regression model. The result of path analysis showed that number of tiller had the highest direct positive effect on total shoot yield.
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