NUSANTARA BIOSCIENCE ISSN: 2087-3948 Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 78-83 E-ISSN: 2087-3956 July 2009 DOI: 10.13057/nusbiosci/n010205 Variation of morphology, karyotype and protein band pattern of adenium (Adenium obesum) varieties DWI HASTUTI 1, , SURANTO², PRABANG SETYONO² ¹ SMA Negeri 1 Surakarta. Jl. Monginsidi No.40, Surakarta 57137, Central Java, Indonesia; Tel./Fax.: +62-271-635227 ² Bioscience Program, School of Graduates, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia. Manuscript received: 22 January 2010. Revision accepted: 19 March 2010. Abstract. Hastuti D, Suranto, Setyono P. 2009. Variation of morphology, karyotype and protein band pattern of adenium (Adenium obesum) varieties. Nusantara Bioscience 1: 78-83. The aim of this research to find out the Adenium obesum variation from six varieties, namely: obesum, cery, red lucas, red fanta , white bigben and harry potter based on morphology, karyotype, as well as protein banding pattern. The chromosome preparation was made using semi-permanent squash method from the tip of root plant; while protein banding pattern was made using SDS-PAGE method. Qualitative data included shape and color of the leave and flower described from each variety. Data were presented in morphometry and analyzed using ANOVA and then followed by DMRT with 5% of confidence levels, indicated significance difference. Protein banding pattern, the root, stem, leave and all organs were analyzed using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis method with Average Linkage (between Groups) using SPSS 10.0. The result of the research shows that the six A. obesum varieties have morphological character with no variation of light green to dark green leave, not hairy, smooth leave bone, meanwhile for light red to dark red flower crown color although some of them are white and the same funnel color, yellow. All varieties of A. obesum have same number of chromosome, 2n = 22 and shows the difference ranging from 2.56 to 5.13 m. In the banding pattern formed qualitatively, there is variation among the six varieties. Keywords: Adenium, morphology, karyotype, electrophoresis. Abstrak. Hastuti D, Suranto, Setyono P. 2009. Variasi morfologi, karyotipe dan pola pita protein pada berbagai varietas kamboja jepang (Adenium obesum). Nusantara Bioscience 1: 78-83. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui variasi Adenium obesum dari enam varietas yaitu obesum, cery, red lucas, red fanta , white bigben, dan harry potter berdasarkan sifat morfologi, karyotipe, serta pola pita protein. Preparat kromosom dibuat dengan metode squash semi permanen dengan bahan ujung akar tanaman dan pola pita protein dilakukan dengan metode SDS-PAGE. Data kualitatif meliputi bentuk dan warna daun dan bunga dari masing-masing varietas. Data morfometri antara varietas dianalisis dengan analisis sidaik ragam (ANAVA), dilanjutkan dengan uji jarak berganda Duncan (DMRT), pada taraf 5% terbukti terdapat beda nyata antar varietas. Pola pita protein akar, batang, daun serta semua organ dianalisis secara kualitatif menggunakan analisis kelompok hierarkhis Average Linkage (between Groups) dalam program SPSS 10.0. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa keenam varietas memiliki karakter morfologi yang bervariasi, yaitu warna daun hijau muda sampai hijau tua, tidak berbulu, tulang daun polos, sedangkan warna mahkota merah muda sampai merah tua, walaupun ada yang putih dan kuning. Jumlah kromosom semua sama yaitu n =22, dimana panjang absolut kromosom berkisar antara 2,56-5,13 μm. Pola pita protein yang terbentuk secara kualitatif terdapat variasi ketebalan di antara keenam varietas, yang menunjukkan adanya perbedaan kandungan proteinnya. Kata kunci: Adenium, morfologi, karyotipe, elektroforesis. INTRODUCTION Dessert rose or Adenium (Adenium obesum (Forsk) Roem et Schult) is a tropical plant that can grow and thrive in a barren desert, earning the nickname of desert rose. These plants were originated from the deserts of Africa, scattered from Senegal to Ethiopia and from Somalia to Tanzania. It also grows wild in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen (Oyen, 2008). This plant is widely used as an ornamental plant, because besides it is easy to maintain, resistant to drought, this kind of flowers vary both in shape and color. This plant can be used as a drug because it contains toxins and plant crystalline glycoside that is useful as a means of relaxation (Chuhairy and Sitanggang 2004). These plants can be propagated vegetatively using stem and the consumer preferences of relatively rapid change are important in narrowing the genetic diversity and high impact to the decline of the economic value of plants, so that the necessary efforts to develop new varieties of A. obesum is being done. New varieties can be obtained by exploration of new varieties, crosses, or in a more modern, such as protoplast fusion and mutation (Soetarso et al. 1985). High enough variation in shape, size, and color of flowers of A. obesum, showed a wide genetic diversity. This is an important factor in plant breeding programs, both for material and enlargement of the cross germplasm genetic diversity itself (Soetarso et al. 1985). Cross-crosses between species (intraspecific) or between the new properties (infraspecific) and uniquely different from both parent will further enrich the genetic diversity of these plants.