Study on the phenotypic diversity and comprehensive evaluation analysis of 43 ornamental peonies of Sect. Paeonia

The peony of Sect. Paeonia was a perennial herbaceous plant with numerous ornamental varieties and riched diversity in flower color and shape. It has ornamental, edible, and medicinal value and a long history of cultivation in China. The study of phenotypic diversity of plants is an important foundation for plants of Sect. Paeonia breeding. This study conducted phenotypic diversity analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis on 43 varieties of Sect. Paeonia germplasm resources. Phenotypic traits included 30 qualitative traits and 7 quantitative traits. Through genetic diversity analysis, principal component analysis, comprehensive evaluation, and cluster analysis, we ultimately concluded that plant samples had relatively rich genetic phenotype traits. In principal component analysis, the first 12 principal components have covered the vast majority of information for phenotypic traits. The comprehensive evaluation results of phenotypic traits indicate that the F values of each variety in the germplasm sample were all positive number. The degree of stamen petals played a key role in determining the phenotypic diversity of plants, and the shape of the cotyledons and leaflets may determine the plant’s stress resistance performance, which provides a reference for breeding new varieties of peonies of Sect. Paeonia.