Characterization of four Senecio species based on visual morphological descriptors

Four different species of Senecio were collected from northern parts of Western Ghats and evaluated for their potential as new ornamental crops. No information exists regarding the horticultural qualities of either species. The objectives of the current research were to evaluate and characterize these species for ornamental qualities and begin developing information pertinent to commercial production. The accurate description and identification of Senecio species is crucial. The profiles of Senecio species were established by using a set of morphological characteristics with the minimal descriptor. All the five species were having the same colour of inflorescence (yellow) but differed in the size and shape of the flowers. Analysis of measurable characters was carried by developing SAS-GLM codes (SAS V9.2, 2008) for seven measurable characters revealed that 3 of the four species were closely related for the characters under study. Out of visually assed descriptors studied, 11 were found to be monomorphic, rest were polymorphic. These visually characters when grouped together fell into 3 distinctive groups. Data also shows that Senecio belgaumesis Senecio bombyances and Senecio dalzillii were uniform for all the seven measurable characteristics. However, Senecio edgeworthi remained distinct.