A statistical analysis of the vegetative characters of Sri Lankan asparagas (๐. ๐ข๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ข๐ฆ)
| dc.contributor.author | Rajapaksha, C. P. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Yakandawala, D. M. D. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-18T03:44:48Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-18T03:44:48Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2004-11-10 | |
| dc.description.abstract | ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด is an important genus of medicinal plants used in ayurvedic medicine in Sri Lanka. The circumscriptions in different taxonomic treatments of the taxa differ with splitting and lumping of species. Four species are recognised, ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ด, ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด, ๐. ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ด and ๐. ๐ป๐ฆ๐บ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด by upgrading the endemic ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ด var. ๐ป๐ฆ๐บ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด to species status. The latest revision in the Flora recognises only three species where the endemic ๐. ๐ป๐ฆ๐บ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด is reduced under ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ด. Field experience suggests the occurrence of several morphological variants with very distinct character combinations that are not listed under the presently recognised species descriptions. Because of these discrepancies, the present study was undertaken to elucidate the number of different Asparagus species that occur in Sri Lanka. Live specimens were collected from all recorded locations and several other locations covering all climatic zones. Plants were studied in detail and characters showing variations were identified. These characters were coded into a data matrix and were subjected to cluster analysis. A total of 50 characters was recorded; but as floral data were not complete for a few specimens, only 23 vegetative characters were included in the analysis. The resulted dendrogram identified five major clusters. Each of these identified clusters was evaluated on the basis of the character combinations of the individuals included within the cluster. Two of these clusters unequivocally agreed with the character combinations of ๐. ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ด and ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด. The other three clusters together corresponded to the character combination described during the latest revision under ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ด. However, the clear separation of this large cluster into three sub clusters at an acceptable distance indicates the heterogenic nature of the species. Each of these clusters could be supported by character combinations which are unique to each of them; ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด with shorter, trigonous, and sickle shaped cladodes of higher elevation; ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด with shorter, trigonous, and sickle- shaped cladodes of lower elevation and ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด with longer, trigonous, straight cladodes of lower elevation. The results of the cluster analysis using vegetative characters unambiguously identify the species ๐. ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ด and ๐. ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด. Species of ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด described under ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ด is an assemblage of different species of ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด. The group of ๐๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ด that occur in the higher elevations with shorter, trigonous, sickle-shaped cladodes is possibly the group that was recognized as ๐. ๐ป๐ฆ๐บ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด (Baker) Hook. f. in 1892 | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Financial assistance provided by the University Research Grant No.RG/2002/64/S is acknowledged. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Peradeniya University Research Session (PURSE) - 2004, University of Peradeniya, P 135 | |
| dc.identifier.isbn | 9555890722 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 13914111 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.lib.pdn.ac.lk/handle/20.500.14444/7244 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 9 | |
| dc.subject | Science | |
| dc.subject | Asparagus | |
| dc.subject | Medicinal Plants | |
| dc.subject | Cluster Analysis | |
| dc.subject | Sri Lanka | |
| dc.title | A statistical analysis of the vegetative characters of Sri Lankan asparagas (๐. ๐ข๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ข๐ฆ) | |
| dc.type | Article |