The medicinal plant Echinophora platyloba (Apiaceae) is endemic to Iran and is distributed across various regions of the country. This species exhibits multiple biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant effects, rendering it highly suitable for applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries. It possesses a wide range of phytochemicals, including terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The present study aimed to investigate the morphological and biochemical diversity of E. platyloba across different regions of Iran. Morphological, edaphic, and biochemical traits were evaluated using a completely randomized design. Alcoholic extracts were prepared to determine biochemical traits, including phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant capacity. Essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation, and their chemical compositions were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis, factor analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The results revealed that dry weight exhibited the highest negative correlation with antioxidant capacity, whereas phenolic content showed the strongest positive correlation with flavonoid content. Additionally, essential oil yield was negatively correlated with traits such as crown diameter, stem diameter, and leaf length and width. Cluster analysis categorized the 14 studied habitats into four main groups. Essential oil analysis identified several major compounds, including α-pinene, α-phellandrene, p-cymene, β-ocimene, limonene, γ-decalactone, carvone, and sesquilavandulol, leading to the differentiation of distinct chemotypes. Overall, the results demonstrate considerable morphological and biochemical diversity among the studied ecotypes, which more clearly delineates their potential for application in the pharmaceutical and related industries. These findings provide a valuable foundation for advancing breeding, production, and processing objectives for this medicinal species.
