Abstract
Variability and diversity of Mentha rotundifolia L. (Huds.), an economically important aromatic culinary herb was analyzed based on observations on nine salient growth characters recorded from 37 accessions of the species collected from various locations of its traditional growing areas in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Among the nine characters studied, only two characters such as shoot weight and internodal length showed statistically significant variation between the accessions. Other attributes like plant height, number of primary branches, number of nodes, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf breadth and leaf area did not vary significantly between the accessions. Such non significant variability with respect to majority of the morphological characters indicates the narrow genetic base of the species in its traditional area of cultivation and the possible threat of the crop becoming incapable of overcoming biotic and abiotic stresses and change in climatic conditions.
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