Leaf growth pattern and morphology of Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr. in tropical lowland

Strayker Muda; Benyamin Lakitan; Fitra Gustiar; Fitri Ramadhani; Fitra Rizar; Dora Nurshanti; Rofiqoh Ria; Niluh Ratmini; Purwanto

doi:10.24831/jai.v52i2.53915

Strayker Muda Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9687-8114
Benyamin Lakitan Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0403-2347
Fitra Gustiar Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1281-8371
Fitri Ramadhani Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9438-3113
Fitra Rizar Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0584-9148
Dora Nurshanti Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Baturaja. Jln. Ratu Penghulu No.2301, Karang Sari, Baturaja, 32115, South Sumatra, INDONESIA
Rofiqoh Ria Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Jl. Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km. 32, Indralaya, Ogan Ilir 30662, South Sumatra, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3703-7539
Niluh Ratmini Research Center for Food Crops, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM. 46 Cibinong, Bogor 16911, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2751-8419
Purwanto Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM. 46 Cibinong, Bogor 16911, INDONESIA https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6276-1987

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24831/jai.v52i2.53915

Abstract

Chikurmanis or katuk (Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.) is a traditional leafy vegetable that is consumed widely in Indonesia. The leaf is rich in vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and dietary fiber. The study aimed to investigate the leaf growth pattern and morphological characteristics of the chikurmanis cultivated in the tropical lowland ecosystem. The research was conducted on local farmland in Marga Sakti Sebelat, Bengkulu, Indonesia on December 2023 by survey method. The results showed that the leaf of chikurmanis grew in the daytime and continued to grow at nighttime as indicated in midrib length, leaf width, and foliole number. It is likely that nighttime growth become predominant in chikurmanis. The plant was a type of shrub with complete organs of stem, branch, root, flower, and leaf. The leaf was arranged as a compound leaf with many folioles in opposite positions. Midrib length (M) x leaf width (W) with a zero intercept of linear regression was the most reliable predictor of leaf area with the formula Y = 0.4964MxW (R²= 0.9677).

Keywords: chikurmanis plant; katuk; leaf area estimation; morphological trait; traditional leafy vegetable