Table 2 Means comparison of morphological characteristics of the studied Thymus persicus populations (TPPs)

Plant height

cm

PH

7.7 ± 1.0^bc

7.5 ± 1.1^c

7.9 ± 1.1^b

9.2 ± 0.9^a

Canopy diameter

cm

CanD

34.5 ± 7.3^ab

35.0 ± 1.0^a

28.9 ± 5.0^c

32.4 ± 4.1^b

Collar diameter

mm

ColD

20.1 ± 5.9^a

19.8 ± 0.9^b

17.2 ± 3.1^c

18.9 ± 1.0^bc

Number of branches

–

NB

6.4 ± 2.2^b

6.7 ± 1.2^ab

5.8 ± 1.1^c

6.2 ± 3.1^bc

Branches length

cm

BrL

14.8 ± 0.7^b

14.2 ± 1.1^b

14.5 ± 2.1^b

15.0 ± 3.7^a

Dry matter weight

g/plant

DMW

209.4 ± 19.8^ab

187.5 ± 10.9^c

235.5 ± 20.0^a

200.9 ± 17.1^b

Root weight

g/plant

RW

123.4 ± 17.0^b

102.6 ± 1.7^b

151.1 ± 40.5^a

90.6 ± 13.5^c

Root length

mm

RL

6.1 ± 0.1^a

5.9 ± 1.4^ab

4.1 ± 0.5^c

5.1 ± 0.3^bc

Stem length

cm

StL

5.1 ± 0.8^c

5.2 ± 0.2^bc

5.5 ± 0.8^b

6.0 ± 0.6^a

Stem diameter

mm

StD

1.0 ± 0.3^c

1.0 ± 0.0^c

1.2 ± 0.1^b

2.0 ± 0.1^a

Stem color^a

–

StCl

1.4 ± 0.5^b

1.2 ± 0.4^bc

1.0 ± 0.5^c

3.8 ± 0.3^a

Stem coat^b

–

StCo

2.3 ± 0.0^ab

2.1 ± 0.9^b

2.2 ± 0.3^ab

3.7 ± 0.1^a

Stem glands^c

–

StG

0.1 ± 0.7^b

0.4 ± 0.8^b

3.0 ± 0.1^a

0.6 ± 0.4^b

Flower stem length

mm

FSL

4.6 ± 0.3^b

4.7 ± 0.2^a

4.4 ± 0.3^b

4.5 ± 0.1^b

Peduncle length

mm

PL

1.5 ± 0.5^b

1.5 ± 0.2^b

1.8 ± 0.1^a

1.7 ± 0.6^ab

Peduncle color^d

–

PCl

3.0 ± 1.2^b

3.0 ± 0.5^bc

2.5 ± 1.0^c

3.9 ± 1.0^a

Number of calyx nervure

–

NCN

9.5 ± 0.5^b

9.7 ± 0.0^a

8.8 ± 0.5^c

8.3 ± 0.3^c

Internode length

mm

IntL

7.7 ± 1.5^c

8.1 ± 1.9^b

9.8 ± 0.0^ab

10.1 ± 4.0^a

Number of nodes per shoot

–

NNS

8.7 ± 1.1^b

8.4 ± 1.0^b

9.1 ± 0.9^ab

9.2 ± 1.1^a

Leaf length

cm

LL

11.1 ± 0.9^a

10.0 ± 1.0^b

10.3 ± 1.0^b

11.8 ± 0.5^a

Leaf width

cm

LW

0.6 ± 0.2^d

0.7 ± 0.2^c

0.8 ± 0.1^b

0.9 ± 0.4^a

Leaf index (length/width)

ratio

LLWR

18.7^a

15.0^b

13.7^c

13.8^c

Number of leaves per stem

–

NLS

21.3 ± 1.8^a

17.0 ± 0.0^b

17.1 ± 2.0^b

15.7 ± 1.0^c

Leaf color^e

–

LCl

2.9 ± 0.7^b

2.9 ± 0.0^b

2.3 ± 0.4^c

3.6 ± 0.2^a

Leaf coat^f

–

LCo

1.6 ± 0.1^c

1.8 ± 0.1^bc

1.6 ± 1.0^ab

2.1 ± 0.2^a

Leaf gland spots^g

–

LGS

0.7 ± 0.6^d

1.6 ± 0.9^c

2.3 ± 0.5^b

3.5 ± 0.0^a

Flower length

mm

FL

8.9 ± 1.3^b

9.0 ± 0.9^ab

9.3 ± 1.1^a

9.2 ± 1.0^ab

Number of flowers per inflorescence

–

NFI

8.5 ± 0.3^ab

8.8 ± 0.3^ab

9.0 ± 0.6^a

8.1 ± 0.0^b

Number of inflorescences per plant

–

NIP

159.1 ± 12.0^a

128.2 ± 6.5^c

143.9 ± 11.1^b

140.1 ± 10.8^b

Inflorescence length

mm

InfL

9.1 ± 0.8^bc

9.3 ± 0.9^b

8.2 ± 0.4^c

10.2 ± 1.0^a

Bract length

mm

BL

3.0 ± 0.0^b

3.0 ± 0.5^b

3.5 ± 0.2^a

3.1 ± 0.6^ab

Bract width

mm

BW

0.5 ± 0.0^b

0.5 ± 0.2^b

0.5 ± 0.0^b

0.6 ± 0.1^a

Bract index (length/width)

ratio

BLWR

6.0^b

6.0^b

7.0^a

5.2^c

Bracteole length

mm

BolL

3.5 ± 0.7^a

3.5 ± 0.3^ab

3.2 ± 0.5^b

3.1 ± 0.0^b

Bracteole width

mm

BolW

0.9 ± 0.0^b

0.9 ± 0.0^b

1.1 ± 0.2^a

1.1 ± 0.1^a

Calyx length

mm

CaL

3.9 ± 0.4^ab

3.7 ± 1.2^b

4.8 ± 0.7^a

4.3 ± 0.9^ab

Calyx width

mm

CaW

1.5 ± 0.9^b

1.5 ± 0.5^b

1.5 ± 0.2^b

1.6 ± 0.3^a

Calyx color^h

–

CaCl

2.5 ± 0.7^ab

2.1 ± 0.0^b

3.9 ± 0.5^a

3.9 ± 1.1^a

Calyx coatⁱ

–

CaCo

2.8 ± 0.8^b

1.0 ± 0.3^bc

1.9 ± 0.1^c

3.1 ± 0.5^a

Corolla length

mm

CoL

7.5 ± 0.3^b

7.7 ± 0.8^ab

7.8 ± 1.1^ab

7.9 ± 0.6^a

Corolla width

mm

CoW

1.4 ± 0.4^b

1.4 ± 0.2^b

1.4 ± 0.7^b

1.6 ± 1.1^a

Corolla color^j

–

CoCl

3.0 ± 1.0^c

2.9 ± 0.4^d

3.6 ± 0.2^b

3.9 ± 0.1^a

Corolla coat^k

–

CoCo

2.1 ± 0.7^b

2.1 ± 0.2^b

2.3 ± 0.0^ab

2.9 ± 1.1^a

Anther length

mm

AL

0.5 ± 0.1^a

0.4 ± 0.1^b

0.4 ± 0.0^b

0.5 ± 0.0^a

Pistil length

mm

PisL

5.3 ± 0.5^a

5.1 ± 0.0^ab

5.2 ± 0.2^ab

5.0 ± 1.1^b

Stamina length

mm

StaL

2.0 ± 0.9^b

2.1 ± 0.2^ab

2.1 ± 0.1^ab

2.3 ± 0.5^a

Seed length

mm

SL

1.8 ± 0.4^b

1.7 ± 0.8^b

2.2 ± 0.1^ab

2.4 ± 0.9^a

Seed width

mm

SW

0.9 ± 0.5^c

0.9 ± 0.2^c

1.0 ± 0.6^b

1.5 ± 0.0^a

Number of seed per inflorescence

–

NSI

3.9 ± 0.9^a

3.9 ± 0.5^a

3.8 ± 0.4^ab

3.5 ± 0.0^b