A Numerical Study of Twenty one Taxa of Vernonia (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) in India

Abstract

The paper presents the result of numerical taxonomic analysis of twenty one species of Vernonia. Twenty seven characters were studied of which fifteen are qualitative and others quantitative. Cluster analysis shows that the species fall under four different
groups as follows:
Group I. Vernonia hookeriana, V. altissima, V. bourneana, V. monosis, V. travancorica, V. indica and V. arborea.
Group II. V. calycina, V. cinerascens, V. eleagnifolia and V. extensa.
Group III. V. attenuata, V. cinerea, V. divergens and V. saligna.
Group IV. V. squarrosa, V. subsessilis var. bracteolata, V. beddomei, V. aspera, V. peninsularis and V. revoluta.