Table 3 Specific qualitative morphological traits, their scores, equivalent phenetic characters, (%) contribution to variation, and Chi-square for 20 morphological qualitative traits during the analysis of 120 Genotypes from Ethiopia
Qualitative marker | Character state | Proportion | Chi-square | % Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Germination rate | Slow (2–7 days) | 90.00 | 112.1*** | 75.00 |
Very slow (> 7 days) | 30.00 | 25.00 | ||
Growth habit | Erect | 104.00 | 64.5*** | 86.67 |
Prostrate | 16.00 | 13.33 | ||
Branching index | Many branches (all near the base of the stem) | 17.00 | 61.63*** | 14.17 |
Branches all along the stem | 103.00 | 85.83 | ||
Stem pubescence | None | 23.00 | 118.95*** | 19.17 |
Low | 95.00 | 79.17 | ||
Conspicuous | 2.00 | 1.67 | ||
Stem pigmentation | Green | 49.00 | 61.7*** | 40.83 |
Pale(golden) | 9.00 | 7.50 | ||
Red | 3.00 | 2.53 | ||
White | 9.00 | 7.50 | ||
Mixture | 50.00 | 41.67 | ||
Spines in leaf axils | Absent | 104.00 | 64.5*** | 86.67 |
Present | 16.00 | 13.33 | ||
Leaf pubescence | None | 40.00 | 13.3*** | 33.33 |
Low | 80.00 | 66.67 | ||
Leaf pigmentation | Mixture | 2.00 | 58.2*** | 1.67 |
Entire lamina purple or pink | 10.00 | 8.33 | ||
Central spot | 1.00 | 0.83 | ||
Two stripes (V-shaped) | 10.00 | 8.33 | ||
One stripe (V-shaped) | 11.00 | 9.17 | ||
Margin and vein-pigmented | 21.00 | 17.50 | ||
One pale green or chlorotic stripe on normal green | 14.00 | 11.67 | ||
Normal green | 33.00 | 27.50 | ||
Dark green | 18.00 | 15.00 | ||
Leaf shape | Lanceolate | 69.00 | 78*** | 57.50 |
Elliptical | 31.00 | 25.83 | ||
Ovatainate | 13.00 | 10.83 | ||
Rhombic | 7.00 | 5.83 | ||
Leaf margin | Crenate | 2.00 | 112*** | 1.67 |
Undulate | 118.00 | 98.33 | ||
The prominence of leaf veins | Smooth | 2.00 | 112.1*** | 1.67 |
Rugose (veins prominent) | 118.00 | 98.33 | ||
Petiole pigmentation | Green | 48.00 | 37.8** | 40.00 |
Amaranth | 3.00 | 2.50 | ||
White | 39.00 | 32.50 | ||
Mixture | 30.00 | 25.00 | ||
Terminal inflorescence shape | Spike (dense) | 1.00 | 121.9*** | 0.83 |
Panicle with short branches | 1.00 | 0.83 | ||
Panicle with long branches | 47.00 | 39.17 | ||
Club-shaped at tips | 10.00 | 8.33 | ||
Thyrse | 17.00 | 14.17 | ||
Raceme | 5.00 | 4.17 | ||
Mixture | 39.00 | 32.50 | ||
Terminal inflorescence attitude | Erect | 105.00 | 67.5*** | 87.50 |
Drooping | 15.00 | 12.50 | ||
Inflorescence density index | Lax | 46.00 | 2.6ns | 38.33 |
Intermediate | 42.00 | 35.00 | ||
Dense | 32.00 | 26.67 | ||
Inflorescence Color | Green | 34.00 | 42.05*** | 28.33 |
Pink | 8.00 | 6.67 | ||
Red | 1.00 | 0.83 | ||
Amaranth | 59.00 | 49.17 | ||
Golden | 9.00 | 7.50 | ||
White | 9.00 | 7.50 | ||
Seed shattering | None | 20.00 | 16.1*** | 16.67 |
Low (< 10%) | 19.00 | 15.83 | ||
Intermediate (10–50%) | 45.00 | 37.50 | ||
High (> 50%) | 36.00 | 30.00 | ||
Seed color | White | 18.00 | 171.5*** | 15.00 |
Pale yellow | 2.00 | 1.70 | ||
Red | 1.00 | 0.83 | ||
Brown | 8.00 | 6.67 | ||
Black | 91.00 | 75.83 | ||
The presence of auxiliary inflorescence | Present | 120.00 | – | 100.00 |
Sex type | Monoecious | 106.00 | 70.5*** | 88.33 |
Dioecious | 14.00 | 11.67 |