Starch and Karyotype Study of Taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) from West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

The shape, amount, and distribution of starch granules are specific to each plant. Different plants will have different shapes, quantities, and distribution of starch granules. Based on the shape, amount and distribution of starch, the types of starch producing plants can be classified. Taro (Colocasia esculenta L .) is a starch-producing plant that has the potential to be developed in the future. Colocasia esculenta L is distributed in a wide area in West Sumatra, Indonesia so that genetic variations and variations in anatomical structure are interesting to know. The method in this study is the observation of the shape and distribution of starch, as well as the observation of chromosomal karyotypes. This study aims to determine the shape, amount, and distribution of starch granules and karyotypes from Colocasia esculenta L. Colocasia esculenta L has the form of round starch granules, rectangles, semicircles, polygonal and triangles. The amount of starch is 6-35 percent and the pattern of spreading irregular starch with cortical cells is not entirely filled with starch. The basic chromosome number of Colocasia esculenta L is n = 14.

Karyotype analysis from four species of edible plants in northeastern Thailand

“…This study found karyotype asymmetry with satellite-chromosomes, while Senavongse et al (2018) reported karyotype symmetry with satellite-chromosomes of C. esculenta (L.) Schott because of the effects of environmental factors. These cytological data can be used as evidence in the study of evolutionary relationships and can also help to identify the species (Senavongse et al 2020) as an important taxonomic character (Wahidi and Nursyahra 2018). Idiograms of both taros are reported for the first time.…”