Character association and path analysis in glory lily (Gloriosa superba L.)

Gloriosa superba L. is a medicinal climber, its seeds and tubers contain valuable alkaloids viz., colchicine and colchicoside as the major constituents, which are used to treat gout and rheumatism. The growing demand for the seeds of G. superba in the international market and the wider popularity it has gained among the farmers necessitates attempts to induce new variability with high yield, high colchicine content, dwarf stature and leaf blight resistant of the plant as well. In the present study, eighteen glory lily genotypes were used to estimate character association and generate a path analysis for 13 morpho-economic traits. Plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, number of flowers per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, fresh seed weight per plant, fresh seed yield per plant and fresh seed recovery were found to have positive association with dry seed yield per plant. Fresh seed yield per plant had highest positive effect on seed yield followed by number of pods per plant and fresh seed weight per pod. These associated yield components suggested that it may be good selection criteria to improve seed yield of glory lily crop.