Variation of Calcium Oxalate (CaOx) Crystals in Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume)
1772
Table 4. Types of crystals in porang stiloid (A. muelleri).
Type Size (µm) Position
2 - 10 Irregular
Single
11 - 13 Irregular
Regular
2 - 10
Irregular Group
11 - 13 Irregular
regular (lined up neatly) (Figure 5(a)) and irregular
(Figures 5(b)-(d)). Styloid crystal group might be com-
posed of crystals that had 2 - 10 μm in size only, styloid
crystals 11 - 13 μm in size only, and the combination of
both. Styloid crystals were dispersed irregularly in leaf.
As the one that had found in leaf, styloid crystals that had
found in petiole were also divided into single and group
crystal. Generally styloid crystals that were found in tu-
ber always spread and irregular. In tuber, styloid crystals
were found in single and group crystal. There was also
transparent styloid crystal that was arranged puncture
each other in tuber. Grouping styloid crystals could be
seen in Table 4.
CaOx crystal types that were found in each porang or-
gan were varies. Level of diversity of CaOx crystals that
were found was different in each porang organ (Table 5).
The highest diversity of druse and raphide crystals was
found in tubers, i.e. 80% and 91.84%. Different with
druse and raphide, the highest prism crystals diversity
was found in petiole (100%). However diversity of sty-
loid crystal was equal between leaf and tuber, i.e. 80%.
From the results of these calculations, it could be con-
cluded that each organ in porang had different types of
CaOx crystals morphology.
Differences in level of diversity of each CaOx crystal
types in each organ were allegedly due to the environ-
mental factors and genetic regulation that express the di-
versity of crystal types in each porang organ. In addition,
variations of crystal type that were found in porang had
some differences with CaOx crystals that were found in
other Araceae species. Therefore there were allegations
that the variations of crystal type that were found in this
research were a hallmark of these porang. As explained
by Ilarslan et al. [13] and Franceschi and Nakata [2],
morphology and distribution of CaOx crystals within a
species is influenced by genetic control. Also explained
by Franceschi and Nakata [2], determination CaOx crystal
types and distribution could be classified as a taxonomic
character for species classification.
4. Conclusion
Tuber organ has the highest diversity of crystals com-
pared with other organs, with the percentage of 91.84%
Table 5. Variability types caox crystals in leaf, petiole, and
tuber in porang (A. muelleri).
Porang organs
NoType of CaOx Crystals
Leaf (%) Petiole (%) Tuber (%)
1Rafida (na) = 49) 59.18 61.22 91.84
2Druse (na) = 10) 60 70 80
3Prisma (na) = 8) 87.50 100 87.50
4Stiloid (na) = 5) 80 60 80
aWhole number variation morphology of CaOx crystal, which n = 100%.
for rafida, 80% for the Druse, 87.50% for the prism, and
80% for stiloid. In all three organs (leaves, leaf stalks,
tubers) of porang plants (A. muelleri), four basic shapes
of crystals, namely 1) druse, 2) raphide, 3) prism and 4)
styloid crystals were obtained. From observations of crys-
tal morphology, raphide crystal variation types of crys-
tal had the highest compared with other crystals. CaOx
crystals were divided by size into large crystals (20 - 250
μm) and small crystal size (1 - 15 μm).
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