Integrating morphological and molecular data to assess genetic diversity in Desert rose

The integrated analysis of morphological and molecular markers represents an effective approach for estimating genetic variability in ornamental species. In the present study, 37 genotypes of Adenium obesum resulting from a single biparental cross were evaluated based on morphofloral traits and ISSR markers. Morphological characterization revealed a predominance of magenta corollas (64.9%), mostly single or double flowers (95%), and variegation in 81% of the genotypes. The mean number of flowers per genotype was 14 and the caudex diameter was classified as “thick” in 20 individuals (> 71 mm). The amplification process generated 97 loci, resulting in 100% polymorphism and an average of 6.47 polymorphic bands per primer. A combined analysis of the morphological and molecular data revealed moderate correspondence between the clustering patterns (entanglement index = 0.582). The results showed that the full-sibling family was genetically diverse and that this diversity could be used to identify elite genotypes.