KARAKTERISTIK STRUKTUR ANATOMI AKAR, BATANG, DAN DAUN PADA Caladium bicolor cv. Candidum, Caladium bicolor cv. Frieda Hemple, DAN Caladium bicolor cv. Postman Joyner

Abstract

The genus Caladium consists of about 12 species, among which Caladium bicolor is the main supporter of horticultural cultivars. Until now morphological characters are still used as the main differentiator in the process of identifying and grouping plants. Anatomical characters can also be used as evidence in taxonomyto separate plant species at the species level, or at higher levels in the genus and family. The purpose of this study was to compare the structure of three cultivars of Caladium bicolor. The research was carried out from November 2021 to March 2022 at the Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Tanjungpura University, Pontianak. There search used descriptive method. Anatomical observations are carried out by observing the structure of the tissues that make up the organs and observing the shape and size of the cells that make up the tissues. The results showed that there were differences in stele diameter and root cortex thickness, thickness of stem epidermal tissue layer, upper and lower epidermis, and leaf mesophyll in the three cultivars of Caladium bicolor. Frieda Hemple cultivar had the largest stele diameter, 62.5 µm, while Candidum cultivar had the thickest cortex, 61.2 µm. The thickest stem epidermis was found in Frieda Hemple cultivar, which was 18.8 µm. The thickness of the upper and lower epidermis of the leaves on the Candidum cultivar was the thickest, 16.4 µm and 12.2 µm, respectively. Leaf mesophyll thickness in Frieda Hemple cultivar was the thickest, at 62.9 µm. The type of stomata in the three cultivars of Caladium bicolor used was the same, namely anomocytic.