Morphological and phylogenetic insights into Berberis species: a tool for species identification and conservation

Evolutionary classification attempts to integrate information on shared ancestry, evolutionary processes, and phenetic information into the taxonomic concept. Berberis species in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Poonch division are highly diverse. However, a comprehensive study was required to reveal the evolutionary relationship between the Berberis species. Hence, we planned our study to explore the evolutionary relationship between Berberis species through morphological traits. For this purpose, eight identified species i.e., Berberis lycium, Berberis parkeriana, Berberis ulcinia, Berberis royleana, Berberis brevissima, Berberis kashmiriana, Berberis orthobotrys, and Berberis orthobotrys subsp. capitata were identified and subjected to phylogenetic characterization. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated a strong correlation of fruit yield per plant with the number of primary branches per plant and the number of berries per branch. Principal component analysis biplot showed that B. lycium, B. parkeriana, B. brevissima, and B. orthobotrys were intended for most of the variation within the study area. Cluster analysis identified morphological similarities of B. lycium with B. parkeriana, B. brevissima with B. royleana, and B. orthobotrys with B. orthobotrys subsp. capitata. Our research confirmed the previous predictions that B. lycium is closely associated with B. parkeriana and B. orthobotrys subsp. capitata is the sub-specie of B. orthobotrys. The research contributed to the effective identification and evolutionary classification of Berberis species found in the area. The study provided an effective tool to advance the knowledge of species identification, characterization, and evolution in the region. These findings are important for future identification, conservation of Berberis species for medicinal use, and wheat rust disease management research.