MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MUJUT (Conostegia xalapensis) IN HUEHUETLA, PUEBLA, MEXICO

Abstract

Mujut (Conostegia xalapensis) a shrub native to Mexico, it is distributed in tropical and temperate within jungles, forests, grasslands, maize fields and coffe plantations; its reproduction is sexual, with hermaphroditic flowers, preferably autogamous. Mujut is important for native communities as it provides fruits for direct consumption, wood from pruning and produces organic matter for crops; it is an underutilized plant that has fruits with dark color that can have nutraceutical properties and benefits for human health; however, there is a lack of research in agronomic aspects, cultivation, genetic diversity, plant breeding, antioxidant activity of fruits, and commercial development; despite being a plant used by native communities, it has been neglected by agricultural researchers. This study aimed to characterize morphologically mujut individuals. Two hundred and fifty individuals were collected in 10 localities of Huehuetla, Puebla, Mexico and characterized using 31 morphological descriptors (13 qualitative and 18 quantitative) of leaves, flowers, and fruits. A mixed data factor analysis (FAMD) and a hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) were performed with RStudio software version 4.3.2. The FAMD analysis had low cumulative variance (46.64 %), using 16 informative descriptors, due to its system of autogamous pollination and management by farmers. Three clusters were formed with the HCPC analysis, group 1 was characterized by a high content of soluble solids in the fruit, group 2 had the largest fruits and, and group 3 had individuals with larger shrub size. These findings provide a backgrund on the morphological variability of mujut, which can be useful for designing management plans and breeding strategies for this underutilized Mexican resource.