Variation for Qualitative Leaf Morphometric Traits among Half- Sib Progenies of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. in the Western Ghats (Hill zone), Karnataka

Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Lauraceae) known as ‘true cinnamon’ or ‘sweet wood’, native species of Sri Lanka and the Indian West Coast, is commercially valuable tree spice in India. Cinnamon leaves are widely used as spice, and possess an essential oil rich in eugenol, which is a highly sought after by the perfume and flavour industries. The study was undertaken during 2018–2020 at College of Forestry, Sirsi, Uttara Kannada. Seeds were collected from 106 superior mother trees of five different sources during June-July and progenies were established in nursery. After 24 months, qualitative leaf traits of progenies were evaluated. Wide variation was observed with respect to leaf parameters among progenies of different sources and even some progenies exhibited variation from its mother plants. Leaf colour, leaf petiole colour and leaf margin serration is almost similar in all the progenies; progenies of tree G2 and K2 recorded light purple and purple colour petiole, respectively as this character is entirely different from the entire progenies. The majority of progenies exhibited light purple colour leaves (50.94%) followed by medium purple colour leaves (28.30%). Only two progenies, G2 and K2 recorded the purple colour petiole with sweet taste. Five types of leaf shapes (elliptic, oblong, ovate, ovate elliptic and ovate lanceolate) and four leaf tip shapes (acuminate, obtuse, acute and sub acute) were recorded among selected progenies. G2 progeny produced oblong shaped leaves and majority of the progenies recorded elliptic leaf shape (51.89%) and sub acute leaf tip shape (69.81 %). There was no variation among the progenies with respect to leaf margin (all are entire type). Leaf markers that could be adopted easily to measure the magnitude of diversity, to select higher yielding types as well as for conservation.