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Issue: Vol. 731 No. 3: 2 Dec. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-12-02
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.731.3.4
Page range: 243-264
Abstract views: 101
PDF downloaded: 6

Morphological diversity and taxonomic delimitation of Smilax species (Smilacaceae) by multivariate analysis with an identification key for species from Northeast India

Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India; Department of Basic Sciences and Social Sciences, School of Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India
Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India; Department of Basic Sciences and Social Sciences, School of Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India
Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong-793003, Meghalaya, India
North-Eastern Hill University
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Sohini Deb

Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, INDIA.

Research Scholar

Department of Basic Sciences and Social Sciences, School of Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India
Diversity Medicinal plants Morphology Taxonomy UPGMA Monocots

Abstract

We investigate morphological diversity of Smilax specie from Northeast India, exploring variation in vegetative and floral characters and identifying key morphological features distinguishing each species. Using morphological traits, multivariate analysis was performed on 115 Smilax species. The findings revealed significant morphological variation among species, and two major clusters were identified by the unweighted paired group method using arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Principal component analysis (PCA) generated a 2D PCA plot. PCA supported the UPGMA clustering. A key to 29 Smilax species of Northeast India will help in proper identification.

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How to Cite

Alam, M.S., Gargi, Vijay, Deb, S. & Choudhury, H. (2025) Morphological diversity and taxonomic delimitation of Smilax species (Smilacaceae) by multivariate analysis with an identification key for species from Northeast India. Phytotaxa 731 (3): 243–264. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.731.3.4