Phenetic Relationship of Lichens Grown on Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in Tangsi Baru Village, Kabawetan Subdistrict, Kepahiang District

Abstract

Lichen is a mutualism symbiotic organism between fungi (mycobiont) and photosynthetic symbiont in the form of algae (photobiont). Lichen can be found from the lowlands to the highlands, growing epiphytes in soil, rocks, weathered wood, and on tree bark, such as on the surface of tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in PT Sarana Mandiri Mukti, Tea plantation Kepahiang District, Bengkulu Province. This study aims to determine the phenetic relationship of lichen on tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) which was conducted in May-October 2020 in Tangsi Baru Village, Kabawetan Subdistrict, Kepahiang District. Sampling using a purposive sampling method. The samples were identified in the Laboratory of Plant Biosystematics Basic Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bengkulu University. Lichens were analyzed based on 51 characters and converted into matrix data using the MS Excel program and the Numerical Taxonomy System (NTSYS) version 2.02. There are 20 species of lichens consisting of 12 species of thallus crustose type, and 8 species of thallus foliose type; belonged to Ascomycota division, 2 classes (Lecanoromycetes and Eurotiomycetes), 5 orders, and 7 families. The lichen relationship phenogram shows a similarity coefficient ranging from 0.38 to 0.94 which is divided into 2 main groups A and B. The closest similarity coefficient value, 0.94, was found in Graphis intricata with Graphis dichotoma, Glyphis cicatricosa with Sarcographa labyrinthica, species Parmotrema tinctorum with Parmotrema crinitum.