Investigating the Morphological Characteristics of the Medicinal Plant of Peganum harmala L. in Western Iran

Genetic diversity, correlation analysis, path analysis, and regression analysis are fundamental tools for developing innovative breeding programs aimed at improving desirable varieties and traits. To evaluate the relationships between traits affecting economic traits and identify habitats as natural potentials in western Iran, we conducted tests on samples from 4 Peganum harmala habitats using a randomized complete-block design. Some of the correlation results indicated a strong correlation between the fresh weight and dry weight of a single stem (0.986**) and between the fresh weight and dry weight of the whole plant (0.856**). Step-by-step regression analysis for the dry yield of the whole plant as the dependent variable revealed that stem height, number of leaves, and number of flowers per plant were successively included in the model. With a cumulative coefficient of determination of 93.6%, these traits explained most of the changes in the dry yield of the whole plant. In the path analysis, stem height was found to have the most direct effect on the dry yield of the whole plant (0.747). Therefore, these traits can be effectively utilized to increase the dry yield of the whole plant.