Abstract: This study broadens the scope of representation of the genus Indigofera and provides information to facilitate the reexamination of the phenetic grouping of the Indigofera species. Quantitative pollen data were collected from acetolysed pollen of annotated herbarium specimens: I. tanganyikensis, I. denroides, I. spicata, I. sabulata, I. volkensii, I. fulvopilosa, I. hirsuta, I. drepanocarpa, I. paracapitata, I. asparagoides, I. ambelacensis, I. vohemarensis, I. subargentea, I. circinella, I. zenkeri, I. arrecta, and I. vicioides. Hierachical cluster algorithm validates both 3 and 4 phenons as significantly separated by the Polar axis, Equatorial axis and P/E. ANOVA (α=0.05, p=0, F(2,14)=48.67), (α=0.05, p=0, F(3,13)=64.41) validates a 3 and 4-cluster solution based on Polar axis respectively. ANOVA (α=0.05, p=0, F(2,14)=44.61); (α=0.05, p=0, F(3,13)=37.99) validates 3 and 4-cluster solution based on Equatorial axis respectively. The P/E had the lowest F statistic in both 3 and 4 cluster solutions. Tukey HSD post hoc analysis revealed significant differences in all the phenons based on the Polar axis and the Equatorial axis and not in the P/E ratio.The findings of this study are congruent with previous 3-phenon taxonomic treatments coalescing I. ambelacensis, I. fulvipilosa and I. dendroides.
Keywords: Cluster solutions, Polar axis, Equatorial axis, P/E,Validation, ANOVA, Indigofera.
Title: Validation of Hierarchical Cluster Solutions Based on Quantitative Pollen Characters of Some Indigofera Linn Species
Author: Philip Onyango, Regina Nyunja, George Opande
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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