Analysis of Phenotypic Diversity and Comprehensive Evaluation of 51 <i>Helleborus</i> L. Hybrid Individuals.

ABSTRACT: Helleborus orientalis L. is a valuable winter-flowering and understory landscape plant, but its application and breeding are hindered by poor heat tolerance and the lack of a robust germplasm evaluation system. In this study, 51 Helleborus L. hybrid individuals obtained through manual open pollination were evaluated using coefficient of variation (CV), Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'), correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis to assess genetic diversity and ornamental value based on 17 phenotypic traits. The results showed rich phenotypic diversity among the hybrids. Quantitative traits showed CV ranging from 9.48% to 37.99% and H' between 0.77 and 1.51, with flower count and leaf length being the most variable. Qualitative traits had

SUBMITTER: Qu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12567406 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature