Assessment of variability in water lily (Nymphaea spp.)

Twelve accessions of water lily (Nymphaea spp.) differing in flower colour and opening time were selected from diverse locations of the water lily growing tracts of Thrissur district. These accessions were evaluated based on the width as well as length of leaf lamina, length of notch on lamina, length of mature flower bud, circumference of mature flower bud, diameter of fully opened flower, number of petals and number of stigmatic appendages in the flower. The study revealed that there was significant variability among the accessions for all the characters evaluated. DMRT was carried out and the accessions were grouped taking diameter of fully opened flower as well as the size of mature flower bud as the decisive characters for grouping. Significant correlations were observed between flower size and leaf size as well as flower size and length of mature flower bud. Hence, leaf size can be taken as an indicator of the flower size of the accession. Selection programmes based on length of lamina will be effective in improving the population, since PCV, GCV, H2 and GG were the highest for this character.