VARIABILITY AND INTRASPECIES CLASSIFICATION OF PUMKIN (Cucurbita moschata (Duch. ex Lam.) Duch. ex Poir.) BASED ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

Abstract

<p>Pumpkin (C. moschata) is minor cultivated plant has morphological variability, that is. important data illustrate the genetic variability. Morphological variation data of of pumpkin can be used for intraspecies classification and conservation. The relationship of cultivar groups of pumpkin also as important data for pumpkin cultivation. The objectives of this study are to determine variability and intraspecies classification of pumpkin in Yogyakarta and around area based on morphological characters. Cultivar accession are collected from Yogyakarta, and Kopeng also Salatiga central Java as operational taxonomic units (OTU’s). Character scoring based on IPGRI of pumpkin with soft modification. Morphological similarity is calculated based on presence and absence characters, and cluster analysis is conducted by UPGMA method to create dendrogram to determine morphological variability and intraspecies classification of pumpkin based on morphological similarity. The result study shows, that there are 3 fruit shapes, namely giant, globular, and oblong with lobes or not. Pumpkin also has yellow and orange colors fruit flesh. The taste of fruit flesh are sweet or not. Based on Dendrogram pumpkin is classified into 3 group cultivars: lowland group with standard fruit shape, highland with standard fruit shape, and giant cultivar groups. Morphological variability of pumpkin in Yogyakarta and around areas indicate on fruit shape, fruit size, fruit color, and taste of fruit flesh, with morphological similarity coefficient 0,55-0,88.</p><p><br /><strong>Keywords</strong>: C. moschata, cultivar, morphological variability, intraspecies classification, phenetic relationship.</p>