Morphology study, leaf anatomy and growth of the Indonesian Scindapsus

Abstract

Scindapsus (Araceae) is commonly found growing wild in Indonesian forests, including West Borneo. Scindapsus has been extensively cultivated and marketed, but information about the variability, morphology and growth of the plant is limited. This study aimed to identify five types of Indonesian Scindapsus based on their morphology, leaf anatomy, and growth patterns. The morphology study observed the plant’s organ structures, including leaves, stems, and roots. The anatomy study examined the tissue structure of the leaf lamina, including epidermal cells and stomata. The growth observations were conducted by propagating the plants through stem cuttings. The research findings showed that, based on their morphology, the five types of Scindapsus in this study could be classified into two groups: Scindapsus pictus and Scindapsus treubii. The differences between the two groups were in the shape and pattern of their leaves. Based on leaf anatomy, structure, shape of the epidermal cells, and stomata types were the same for all five species, but Scindapsus treubii 2 has the thickest lamina.