Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. mutica is widely distributed in the Zagros Mountains in Iran and its fruits are used as food. In the present study, the morphological and pomological variation of naturally grown male and female genotypes of this species was investigated. Considerable variations were observed among male and also among female genotypes studied based on the characters measured. Leaf length ranged from 11.03 to 17.67 cm in male genotypes and also from 11.98 to 16.14 cm in female genotypes. Furthermore, leaf width varied from 7.32 to 13.08 cm in male genotypes and from 9.18 to 13.31 cm in female genotypes. Inflorescence length ranged between 4.62 and 5.83 cm in male genotypes and between 5.05 and 9.04 cm in female genotypes. Also, 100-nut weight varied from 13.74 to 22.81 g with an average of 16.09, while 100-kernel weight ranged from 2.11 to 3.60 g with an average of 2.65 in female genotypes. Leaf length was significantly and positively correlated with leaf width. Furthermore, 100-kernel weight was positively and significantly correlated with leaf and nut dimensions. Principal component analysis showed that the characters measured accounted for 77.41% of the total variance in male genotypes and also 83.24% of the total variance in female genotypes. The genotypes studied showed high variation based on the characters recorded. The wide adaptation of P. atlantica Desf. subsp. mutica highlights its potential as a genetic resource for pistachio breeding for resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought. The current findings may be useful to select conservation strategies and genetic improvement of the species studied.
