Abstract:In order to explore the variability of leaf characters and growth traits among different families of Michelia chapensis, the leaf morphology, growth indexes and their correlations of 15 families were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in leaf characters among M. chapensis families. The coefficient of variation (CV) of leaf characters in Maozifeng family was the largest (23.55%) among 15 families, and that in lejiu5 family was the smallest (12.63%). Among seven leaf characters, the CV of dry matter mass was the largest (25.50%), and that of petiole length-width ratio was the smallest (5.14%). The variation of crown density, DBH and tree height (H) within families was more significant than that between families. The correlation analysis showed that leaf length had significant positive correlation with leaf width (P<0.05), as well as the correlation between leaf dry matter mass and leaf area. According to cluster analysis, 15 families could be divided into 4 categories. The families in category I had dense crown and tall tree, those in categories II and III had sparse crown and short tree, and those in category IV had sparse crown but tall tree. Therefore, these would provide a theoretical basis for the rational development and utilization of M. chapensis.
