Oil bodies variation in ephypitic leafy liverworts at Universitas Indonesia, Depok

Abstract

Oil bodies are specialized globular membrane-bound organelle containing secondary metabolites and found in liverwort cells. Oil bodies can be used as a characters identification in specific level since the early nineteenth century because it has various shape, color, size, number, and distribution between species. The aim of this study is to describe oil bodies variation of ten species of leafy liverworts in the Universitas Indonesia campus. The research started in March-June 2018 covering the area of UI’s urban forest and main roads within campuses. We used quadrat method plots in the Urban Forest and broad survey along the main road of UI. We used the right and left sides of the main road of UI as observation track traces. The number of quadrate plots used in the urban forest are 12 plots of 20 × 20 meters. We placed 4 plots each in 3 zones, namely Wales Barat, Wales Timur and Vegetasi Alam, 4 plots. Variation of oil bodies were observed form the leaf cells of the liverworts under the binocular light microscope with magnification 400–1000 x. The size of leaf cells and oil bodies was measured by image J 64 software. The results obtained as many as 10 species of leafy liverworts consisting of 2 families and 6 generas. We identified variation of oil bodies from the ten species. There are four type of oil bodies. The variation showed are in oil bodies number, shape and size. Therefore, oil body variations can be used as a key species identification in leafy liverworts in Universitas Indonesia.