Abstract:
This study investigated phenotypic diversity in 65
Actinidia arguta (Sieb. & Zucc) Planch. ex Miq. accessions and 14 accessions of closely related taxa maintained at the National Kiwifruit Germplasm Repository, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. A total of 15 quantitative and 20 qualitative traits were evaluated using diversity indices, coefficients of variation (CVs), correlation analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and complementary statistical approaches. Results showed that the Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices for qualitative traits ranged from 0.05 to 0.77 and from 0.14 to 1.55, respectively, and exhibited broadly concordant variation. Diversity was low for most qualitative traits, with several dominant phenotypes. Leaves were generally ovate, with rounded bases and caudate apices, and the abaxial surface was typically glabrous and devoid of bloom. Flowers were predominantly solitary, with overlapping petal bases, black anthers, and white styles and filaments. Among quantitative traits, CVs exceeded 10% for all traits except sepal number (5.03%) and petal number (6.35%), and leaf area showed the greatest variation (25.53%). Correlation analysis identified 42 highly significant and 12 significant trait associations. Cluster analysis separated the 79 accessions into four phenotypically distinct groups, with most
A. melanandra Franch. accessions assigned to Group Ⅲ. PCA resolved five principal components that together explained 82.043% of the total variance, with major contributions from leaf size, floral organ dimensions, and petiole length. Leaf area, corolla diameter, ovary transverse diameter, and the ratio of petiole length to leaf length were further identified as informative indicators for integrated evaluation of leaf and floral phenotypes in
A. arguta. These findings define major dimensions of phenotypic variation within the evaluated germplasm and provide a quantitative basis for standardized identification, characterization, and description of
A. arguta genetic resources.