Patterns of morphological variation insesamum indicum

Cultivars of sesame from 20 countries were sampled for morphological variability. Taximetric methods, including factor, cluster, discriminant, and principal components analyses, established patterns of similarities and were used to generate groupings among the taxa. The complementary results of the analyses indicate that 8 major groups can be discerned. Plants with tetracarpellate capsules have a distinctive form and comprise the initial separation from the entire collection on the dendrogram. The second branch is a group of purple-tinged plants from India that also includes the proposed progenitor. A short, bushy, early maturing genotype consists of predominantly Turkish cultivars. Another group, composed primarily of Korean accessions, consists of unbranched plants with strap-shaped leaves. Other groups are less easily typified. This characterization of the genetic variation in sesame can be used to identify sources of genetic materials for crop improvement, as well as to provide information about the evolution and genetic differentiation of the crop.