Numerical taxonomy of south Indian Piper L. (Piperaceae) I. Cluster analysis

Abstract

Seventeen Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) comprising eleven South Indian species of Piper were subjected to a cluster analysis study based on 30 characters. Clustering of characters led to the recognition of six character groupings. The clustering of taxa resulted in the following species groupings: (1) P. attenuatum. P. argyrophyllum (2) P. galeatum. P. trichostachyon and P. schmidtii (3) P. nigrum, P. nigrum var. hirtellosum. and P. wightii (4) P. hymenophyllum (5) P. mullesua, and P. silentvalleyensis (6) P. longum. In general, the study supported the existing classificatory scheme of South Indian taxa of Piper. P. mullesua, p. silentvalleyensis and P. longum were found to be very distinct from the rest of the species and this calls for a revised infrageneric classification of the South Indian taxa of Piper.