Determining the best morphological characters for taxonomic identification of <i>Inga</i> species in the Colombian Andes using correlation, entropy and a discriminant index.

ABSTRACT: The genus Inga (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) is a key component of tropical American forests, yet its high species diversity and morphological complexity hinder accurate identification, especially in montane environments. In this study, we evaluated 49 morphological characters (32 categorical and 17 continuous) from 73 Inga species occurring above 1000 m in Colombia. We applied a multi-criteria framework combining Spearman correlation, Shannon entropy and a discriminant index to prioritise diagnostic characters, based on redundancy, variability and discriminatory power. The results indicate that categorical characters, particularly stipule shape, indumentum type on both lamina surfaces and the petiole, interfoliar nectaries shape, leaflet apex and base shapes are the most i

SUBMITTER: Bocanegra-Gonzalez KT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12717514 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature