Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) is among few indigenous crops in Ethiopia with a great potential for food and nutritional security, medicinal and socio-economically importance. Despite its importance, limited research was made in exploring the genetic diversity of anchote. Understanding the nature and magnitude of diversity and interrelationship among anchote genotypes for qualitative traits is vital to hasten the effective improvement of the crop. The present study investigated the extent and pattern of diversity within and among 400 accessions of anchote using agro-morphological qualitative traits. The accessions were collected from ten administrative zones ofWestern, South western and North western Ethiopia including East Wollega, West Wollega, Kelem Wollega, Horro Guduru Wollega, Buno Bedelle, Iluababor, Jimma, Bench Maji, West Shewa and Hulet Eju-Enese) from the altitude range of 1412 to 3025 m above sea level. The trial was planted during the off-seasons of 2017 and 2018 using irrigation on vertisols at the research site of Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, Bishoftu. Data on 42 qualitative traits were taken and subjected to analysis using the SAS version 9.1.3 software, R for Alpha- Lattice design. There was a highly significant difference among the genotypes for leaf, vine and flower traits including leaf blade degree of lobbing, leaf general outline, mature foliage color, mature leaf size, mature leaf lobe types, number of leaf lobes, shape of central leaf lobe, internode length and diameter, vine tip pubescence, predominant and secondary vine color, tendril twining direction, limb shape, sepal shape, sepal apex, sepal pubescence, sepal color, and style color suggesting the existence of genetic variability among the accessions. Wider ranges among traits have been exhibited for all root traits; root size and variability, predominant and secondary root flesh color, predominant and secondary root skin colors, root shape, root surface constriction and defects, root cortex thickness and color, root formation, root stalk, root skin texture, root latex production and oxidation. There was no root cracking and root surface and flesh defects across the accessions. The variability of root size ranged from uniform to slightly variable, predominant and secondary flesh colors classified under white and creamy, predominant and secondary skin colors were similar to the internal flesh colors, root shapes classified in to round and round elliptic, root cortex thickness was very thin(<1 mm) to thin(1-2 mm), closed to open clustered root formation, short (2-5 cm) to intermediate (6-8 cm) root stalk length, and no root cracking has been observed. Root latex production among the accessions ranged from little to some, and the amount of browning observed 5-10 seconds after root cut was very little. The root size showed slight (19.5%) to moderate (79.5%) variations. Predominant root flesh color of most genotypes was creamy (63%), white (23.75%) and dark cream (10.75%). The root formation structure of most accessions was closed (95%), and few were open (5%). The number of leaf lobes was diverse, and the majority (93%) had between two to four leaf lobes. A wide range of genetic variations occurred for all traits except for root cracking and flesh defects. Root skin color had a positive phenotypic correlation with secondary root flesh color. Cluster analysis divided genotypes into six main groups indicating wider genetic diversity among accessions. The principal component analysis (PCA) also indicated that the accessions were grouped into seventeen components with eigenvalue > 1 and explained 64.99 % of the variability. The variation exhibited in this experiment could be attributed to environmental and genetic factors. The morphological variability and traits relationship exhibited in this study could provide a new selection mechanism in future improvement programs of anchote.
