Floral morphometrics, cytology and fruit biochemical studies in wild populations of Solanum viarum Dunal- an ethnomedicinal plant of North-East India

The conservation of genetic diversity is important for preserving genetic resources. In the present study, comparative floral morphometric, cytology, and fruit biochemical characteristics were carried out to assess genetic diversity among four wild populations of Solanum viarum. The study revealed variation in various floral parts, fruit sizes, and biochemical parameters. The statistical analysis revealed that different populations of S. viarum vary significantly with respect to the size of different floral parts, the size of the pedicel, the size and weight of the fruit, and the number of seeds. On the contrary, biochemical parameters also showed significant variation among different developmental stages of fruit. Somatic chromosome numbers (2n = 24) were stable among the four wild populations with distinct n = 12 bivalents without any abnormalities. A dendrogram was constructed based on several morphometric and biochemical parameters, which divided the populations into two clusters, suggesting intraspecific variability among populations. The present study emphasizes the significance of the biochemical properties of the fruits of S. viarum used as traditional medicine by the local tribes of Tripura.