Diversity of Morphologically Vegetative Characters of Kepel (Stelechocarpus burahol): Study in Yogyakarta Palace Region, Indonesia

Abstract

Kepel or Stelechocarpus burahol is a plant member of the Annonaceae family that is very useful as herbal medicines and natural deodorant for the Javanese palace's monarch. Kepel is an endemic Javanese plant that is currently very rare and endangered, so preservation and conservation are essential. The study aims to characterize vegetative morphology and determine the clustering of Kepel in Yogyakarta Palace Region as the first step for Kepel conservation. The study was carried out by a survey method using purposive sampling in 14 regions in Yogyakarta Palace Region. The plant used as an accession was healthy, grows normally, and has produced fruits. The variable observation of the canopy, stem, and leaf refers to the Annonaceae family's description based on Bioversity International. Data analysis is performed using cluster analysis based on the coefficient of similarity. The results showed that 46 kepels in Yogyakarta Palace Region had a high diversity based on the analysis of similarities in 16 variables with a similarity coefficient of 0.5-0.91. Analysis of cluster described that there are two clusters with a coefficient similarity of 0.5. Cluster A has 40 accessions (87%); cluster B has six accessions (13%). Leaf shape, leaf size, and stem color have an essential role in clustering the Kepel in Yogyakarta Palace Region. Cluster A relatively has a smaller leaf than the leaf of cluster B. The leaf blade shape of cluster A is elliptic to lanceolate, and the stem colors are beige-green and grey. Cluster B has an elliptical to ovate leaf blade shape, and the stem color is light brown, brown, and reddish-brown. This research data can enrich Kepel germplasm information, which is very useful as basic data for the conservation, development, and breeding of Kepel plants.