Genetic Diversity of Leaf, Fruit and Seed Characteristics in Some Hawthorn Species Collected from South and Central Zagros Region of Iran

Iran represents one of the centers of diversity of Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) and the genus Crataegus is represented by 24 species and 5 inter-specific hybrids in Iran, 6 of which are endemic to Iran. Fruits of Crataegus species are collecting from wild to be eaten as fresh fruit, or made into a jam. Many species and hybrids are also used as ornamental trees or as rootstock for pear and quince. This study was carried out to evaluate variation of some tree and fruit characteristics in 30 hawthorn genotypes different species, collected from south and central Zagros regions of Iran. Some attributes of leaf, fruit quantitative and qualitative traits as well as seed characteristics were measured. Results showed that some of measured traits such as fruit dimensions, fruit weight, and fruit color represent very high level of variations. The largest fruit was observed in Crataegus azarolus whereas, the smallest fruit was observed in C. atrosanguinea species. Correlation analysis showed that leaf length and leaf width have significant correlation with fruit attributes such as fruit weight, fruit size, seed length and seed width. According to cluster analysis based on Ward’s method, genotypes were divided into four main groups based on species and geographic distribution. The results obtained might be helpful for breeders who trying to develop new varieties in hawthorn.