Quantitative variations in fruits/seeds of <i>Garcinia kola</i> Heckel from lowland rainforest zones of Nigeria: prospects for domestication

Abstract

Garcinia kola Heckel is a valuable fruit tree species that plays a significant role in contributing to household economies in West and Central Africa where the species is endemic. This study assessed the variations in six sources of G. kola in Southern Nigeria. Fruit and seed characteristics (fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD), number of seeds per fruit (NS), fruit weight (FW), seed weight (SW), seed length (SL), and seed diameter (SD)) were evaluated. Data collected were analyzed using combinations of analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, principal component analysis (PCA) and dendrogram analysis. Significant variations (P<0.05) were found in all the characters evaluated. Significant and strong positive correlations were found between SL and NS (0.87), FW and FL (0.76), FW and FD (0.94), FL and FD (0.67). The PCA revealed FW, FD, SW and NS as the most discriminating traits upon which three clusters were identified. Results of this study could serve as a guide for selection and improvement of G. kola for domestication purposes.