Five main genotype-based traits which are important for the identification of different cultivars were selected and
observed during three consecutive years. These traits are: colour of leaf, colour of tuberous root skin, root flesh colour,
rhizome colour and flower production (Milella et al., 2011). Finally, two other characters were added to the morphological
description: presence of the purple pigmentation of upper leaves and leaf margin colour. All traits were scaled according to
Seminario et al. (2003).
Unfortunately, not all of the accessions, which were involved in the molecular analysis, could also have been involved in
the morphological observation. Two of the samples (‘PER16’ and ‘ECU46’) did not survive the external conditions after
plantation out of the greenhouse and therefore they were maintained only in the trial pots in the greenhouse.
The traits relating to the root tubers and rhizomes were scaled only in Smallanthus sonchifolius accessions (27), because of
their absence in three wild relatives. All other characters (relating to leaves and flowers) were observed in all samples grown
in the experimental trial.