MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF WILD CULTIVARS OF XOCONOSTLE (Opuntia spp.) FROM ZACATECAS, MÉXICO

Abstract

Thirty-six cultivars of prickly pear plants that produce xoconostles were characterized, located and collected in the territory of the state of Zacatecas by using 31 quantitative traits. These traits correspond to cladodes, flowers and fruits according to the Guide for Distinction, Uniformity and Stability Tests for Prickly Pear and Xoconostle of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
The information was analyzed with multivariate analysis techniques. The two first principal components (PCs) explained 99 % of the total variation of the data base; the PC1 explained 98.81 %, while the PC2, 0.22 %. The structure of PC1 was defined primarily by the length and width of the cladodes. The values of both PCs were used to group the cultivars through a conglomerate analysis. Thus, six groups or classes of xoconostles were identified in function of the morphometry of cladodes, flowers and the fruit. The results confirm that in Zacatecas there is a genetic wealth of xoconostles worthy of being conserved and used.