Study of the relationship between morphological, physiological and chemical properties in camphor (Camphorosma monspeliaca L.)

In order to study the relationship between morphological, physiological and chemical characteristics of medicinal plant named camphor (Camphorosma monspeliaca L.), samples were collected from a natural habitat in Arak at the full flowering stage. Morphological traits such as plant height, number of tillers, canopy diameter, total shoot yield and full flowering shoot yield were measured for 20-40 plants in each plot. The physiological traits measured were chlorophyll content, soluble sugars, proline, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chlorine and iron. The results of correlation analysis indicated that total shoot yield had a positive significant correlation with full flowering shoot yield (r=0.97**), number of tillers (r=0.94**), canopy diameter 2 (r=0.83**), total chlorophyll 1 (r=0.79*), total chlorophyll 2 (r=0.77*), chlorophyll a (r=0.78*) and chlorophyll b (r=0.77*). The total shoot yield had a negative significant correlation with root length (r=-0.74*), root yield (r=-0.83**) soluble sugars (r=-0.76*), proline (r=-0.94**) and chlorine (r=-0.77). Flowering shoot yield had a significant positive correlation with the number of tillers (r=0.97**), canopy diameter 1 (r=0.77*), canopy diameter 2 (r=0.97**), total chlorophyll 1 (r=0.74*), and a negative significant correlation with root yield (r=-0.77*), soluble sugars (r=-0.97*), calcium (r=-0.72*) and chlorine (r=-0.81**). Soluble sugars showed a positive significant correlation with proline (r=0.83**), magnesium (r=0.88**), calcium (r=0.90*) and chlorine (r=0.91**). Proline had a positive significant correlation with magnesium (r=0.79*), calcium (r=0.79*) and chlorine (r=0.97**). The results of stepwise analysis of full flowering shoots as the dependent variable, showed that five traits, i.e. total shoot yield, iron, canopy diameter 2, chlorine and canopy diameter 1 were considered in the model as independent variables. However, the result of path analysis showed that total shoot yield had the highest direct positive effect on full flowering shoot yield. Results revealed that salinity reduced aerial organs and iron absorbsion, but camphor plants increased mineral absorbsion and expanded their root systems for salinity tolerance.