In situ morphometric characterization of Aframomum melegueta accessions in Ghana

Abstract

Misidentification of Aframomum melegueta, an important medicinal plant has huge adverse health implications. Thus, the scientific description and characterization of the accessions in Ghana was imperative. The study found the plant to bear creepy stolons which bear terminal bud for production of tillers instead of rhizomes which had earlier been reported by other investigators. All the accessions had a distinctive non storage bulbous structure at the base of the pseudostem. The UPGMA dendrogram clustered the accession into Ashanti and Eastern accessions based on ecological location. The Eastern accessions were sub-clustered in two groups based on fruit colour.