احد چراغی

Sweet violet (Viola odorata L.) is a perennial and aromatic plant from the Violaceae family that grows in the northern regions of Iran. This research was conducted in order to investigate the biochemical diversity of 10 selected populations of the sweet violet plant in Mazandaran province in 2023 in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications. The habitats included Elimalat, Lavij, Abpari, Noor Forest Park, Sisangan, Namak Abroud, Kalarabad, Imamzadeh Abdullah, Larijan and Khesht Sar. Ten samples were collected from each habitat and traits related to vegetative characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, and phytochemical compounds of leaves of each population were evaluated. To categorize populations, cluster analysis (cluster) was performed by Ward's method using SAS statistical software version 9/4. The results showed significant differences in all the morpho-physiological traits across different habitats, so the highest  height and number of leaves were observed in Elimalat, Lavij, and Kheshtsar habitats, the highest diameter of the main and secondary stems, fresh weight and plant dryness, leaf width and surface area, and petiole diameter were reported in Kalarabad and Namak Abroud habitats and then in Kheshtsar. The most photosynthetic pigments of the leaves were evaluated in the habitats of the west Mazandaran (Klarabad and Namak Abroud) and the highest amounts of phytochemical compounds were found in the Larijan habitat which is located at a higher altitude above sea level (4115 m). The cluster analysis of different habitats based on the measured morphological traits and climatic characteristics divided the populations of violet into three separate groups. In general, we can conclude that geographical differences are one of the most important parameters affecting the growth and quality of native plants. Most of the morphological traits, photosynthetic pigments of violet leaves, and secondary metabolites such as total phenol and flavonoids in the studied populations exhibit significant differences. Some of this diversity is attributed to genetic characteristics, while another part is influenced by climatic conditions.