Widely assumed phenotypic associations in Cannabis sativa lack a shared genetic basis

The flowering plant Cannabis sativa, cultivated for centuries for multiple purposes, displays extensive variation in phenotypic traits in addition to its wide array of secondary metabolite production. Notably, Cannabis produces two well-known secondary-metabolite cannabinoids: cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which are the main products sought by consumers in the medical and recreational market. Cannabis has several suggested subspecies which have been shown to differ in chemistry, branching patterns, leaf morphology and other traits. In this study we obtained measurements related to phytochemistry, reproductive traits, growth architecture, and leaf morphology from 297 hybrid individuals from a cross between two diverse lineages. We explored correlations among these characteristics to inform our understanding of which traits may be causally associated. Many of the traits widely assumed to be strongly correlated did not show any relationship in th...作为已有数千年栽培历史的多用途开花植物，大麻（Cannabis sativa）不仅拥有丰富多样的次生代谢产物合成能力，其表型性状亦存在广泛变异。值得注意的是，大麻可合成两种知名的次生代谢型大麻素：大麻酸（CBDA）与Δ⁹-四氢大麻酚酸（THCA），二者均为医疗与娱乐消费市场的核心目标产物。大麻存在多个被学界提议的亚种，这些亚种在化学成分、分枝模式、叶片形态及其他性状上均存在显著差异。本研究从两个遗传背景迥异的亲本谱系杂交得到的297株杂交个体中，采集了与植物化学、繁殖性状、生长构型及叶片形态相关的表型数据。本研究通过分析这些性状间的相关性，以期明确哪些性状之间存在因果关联。此前被广泛认为存在强相关性的诸多性状，在本研究样本中未表现出任何关联……