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STUDY ON FLOWERING DEVELOPMENT BIOLOGY OF Sapindus rarak DC

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 International Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Plantation, Vol. 3 (June.)
ISSN 2462-1757 2016

STUDY ON FLOWERING DEVELOPMENT BIOLOGY OF Sapindus rarak DC.

Sulisetijono
Doctoral Program in Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science,
Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science,
Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia
Email: sulisetijono@yahoo.com cc. sulisetijono.fmipa@um.ac.id

Estri Laras Arumingtyas

Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science,
Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Email: larasbio@gmail.com

Retno Mastuti
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science,
Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Email: mastuti7@ub.ac.id

Serafinah Indriyani
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science,
Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Email:indriyani.serafinah04@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Sapindus rarak is saponin producing plants belongs to the family Sapindaceae. Sapindus rarak has not been cultivated and
grows wild in the woods. Utilization of lerak fruit skin includes traditional detergent, biopesticides, and for health purposes.
Lerak plants have a potential to be developed. However, the seed production of lerak is very low. An effort to increase the seed
production of plants required a basic knowledge on reproductive biology. Descriptive exploratory study was conducted to
observe the morphology of flower development of lerak. Observations were conducted on the number of individual flower bloom,
the sex of flowers, and the flower arrangement. The length and width of the flower buds on one individual trees with 3
inflorescence were measured. After the bud reach the length of 0.2 mm, observation was carried out every day for 1 week, then
once every 2 days until the flowers bloom (35 days). The results showed that lerak inflorescence is a panicle, terminal, erect,
conical, and 19-40 cm long. The panicle development can be grouped into four stages: 1) the induction phase of the
inflorescence takes 9-10 days; 2) the initiation stage of flowers on the inflorescence was achieved within 15 days; 3) stage of
flower differentiation was reached within 30 days; and 4) anthesis stage takes 35 days. The mean percentage of blooming
flowers on the inflorescence covers 55.94% of male flowers, female flowers are 26.42%, 9.20% hermaphrodite flowers, and
8.44% of flowers buds did not bloom. The growth rate showed sigmoid pattern.

Key words: Sapindus rarak, inflorescences, floral biology

Introduction

Sapindus rarak DC. has the local name lerak (Indonesia) also known as rerek (Sunda), klerek, werak (Java) or lamuran
(Palembang) (Kasahara & Hemmi, 1986). Lerak belongs to the family Sapindaceae, similar family with rambutan (Nephelium
lappaceum L.), kelengkeng [Euphoria longan (Lour.) Steud], lychee (Litchi sinensis Sonn.), and kiara payung [Filicium
decipiens (W. & A.) Thw .]. Another species within similar genus with Sapindus rarak is S. mukorosi, S. emarginatus, and S.
saponaria. Lerak habitus is trees shaped with an average height of 10 m, although it can reach 42 meters with the diameter of 1
m. It has hard fruit, circular shaped, 2-2.5 cm midline, on the ventral side is flat, and has a hard seed coat (Backer and Bakhuizen
van den Brink, 1965). The colour of ripe outer pericarp is dark or blackish brown, with the smooth or shiny fruit surface. The
pericarp is a little bit slimy and has fragrant aroma (Udarno, 2009). In Indonesia lerak has never been cultivated, it grows as
home gardener trees rather than as the main plant with the population of about 1-2 trees..

Lerak fruit pericarp contains saponins which produce foam, while the seeds contain oil. The saponins is mostly found in the
pericarp (Sunaryadi, 1999 & Stoffels, 2008). Based on the existence of saponins, lerak pericarp is used as a natural washers,
biopesticides, and in health.

Lerak pericarp as traditional detergents have been utilized by the people of Indonesia, especially for washing clothes and
lightening the color of batik fabric that is durable and does not fade (Herman, 2007; Stoffels, 2008). Vegetable soap made from
lerak fruit (pericarp) which is one example of environmentally friendly soap, providing more benefits in terms of environmental
protection, compared to artificial chemical soap. Botanists classify lerak as biopesticides, as the saponin content of the fruit skin
can be used for killing insects such as mosquitoes and cockroaches, as well as earthworms exterminator (Nunik, 1998). Saponins
from Sapindus rarak also have moluscisidal activity (Hamburger et al., 2007).

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 International Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Plantation, Vol. 3 (June.)
ISSN 2462-1757 2016

Saponin in the pericarp of lerak can be used to treat acne, eliminating head lice and rheumatism drugs (Kasahara & Hemmi,
1986). Saponins in the lerak pericarp can also be used as a male and female contraceptive, because they have anti-implantation,
estrogenic and anti spermatogenesis effects (Winarno & Sundari, 1997). Arulmozhi et al. (2005) states that the pericarp of lerak
has also been used in traditional medicine to cure emetic or vomiting, chlorosis, epilepsy, antimigraine, and a contraceptive.

The saponin content of lerak can increase the potential benefits of local flora Indonesia. The plants lerak increasingly
overlooked, this must be the cultivation of lerak. Since Lerak plants have a potential prospect to be developed, it is important to
ensure the availability of lerak seed. In an effort to increase the production of plants required a basic knowledge of reproductive
biology. Flowers play an important role in crop production. This research aims to study the morphology of flower development
of lerak. The results of this study can add information about the reproductive biology of plants of lerak in efforts to increase fruit
production.

Materials and Methods

Descriptive exploratory study of flower development of lerak was conducted in September 2015 to November 2015. The pattern
of inflorescence was determined by observing 5 inflorescences of 6 individuals (Muhibbudin, 1992) with inflorescence length of
25 cm. Observation was conducted on the lerak tree that grows in Materia Medica Batu and Malang. Observation was carried
out against the number of flower buds bloom, the sex of flowers, and flower arrangement. Observations of the development of
flower morphology was done by measuring the length and width of the flower buds of 3 inflorescence on one individual trees.
Having obtained the bud with a length of 0.2 mm observation was carried out every day for 1 week, then once every 2 days until
the flowers bloom (35 days).

Results and Discussion

The inflorescence arrangement of lerak is panicle located in the terminal part of the plant (Figure 1). The inflorescence has a
main stalk which has many branches, and each branch produces some branches again in the same way as the main stalk. The
length of branches from the bottom to the top is getting shorter to form a cone-shaped inflorescence. The flowers that appear on
the branches of the inflorescence is cymosa. The length of the inflorescence ranging in size from 19 cm to 40 cm. The most
prevalent size (78% of the inflorescence) is 30-35 cm. Panicle inflorescence types is also found in other Sapindaceae family like
in Euphoria longan (Lour.) Steud, Paranephelium macrophyllum King, Litchi sinensis Sonn., and Sapindus saponaria
(Muhibbudin, 1992; Keng, 1969; Sauco & Menini, 1989; Hodel, 2012).

Figure 1. Patterns of inflorescence panicle on Lerak

2 cm

Flower developments occurred during the 35 days of induction of flowering until the floral anthesis. Lerak panicle development
can be grouped into four stages: 1) the induction phase of the inflorescence takes 9-10 days; 2) the initiation stage of flowers on
the inflorescence is required 15 days; 3) stage of differentiation of flower required 30 days; and 4) anthesis stage takes 35 days.
The period of lerak flower development is different from Euphoria longan flower development which takes 13-14 days
(Muhibbudin, 1992) and is almost equal with the development Syzigium pycnanthum for 26-31 days (Muhdiana & Ariyanti,
2010).

At each panicle there are buds in various stages of development. The number of growing flower buds ranged from 467 to 783
pieces with a mean of 605.5  79.7. The flower buds developing in panicle consists of male flowers, flowers hermaphrodite and
female flowers. The size of hermaphrodite flowers and female flowers were similar, and they can be found at the end of the twigs
. The number of male flowers that develop in each panicle more than the hermaphrodite and female flowers. The male flowers,

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 International Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Plantation, Vol. 3 (June.)
ISSN 2462-1757 2016

female flowers and hermaphrodite flowers that reach blooming stage was 55.94%, 26.42% and 9.20% respectively. Flower buds
that were not reach blooming stage and subsequently wither and fall was 8.44%. The three kinds of lerak flowers were found on
one tree. Sauco & Menini (1989) reported that Litchi sinensis has three types of flowers on each inflorescence in the tree
(polygamnonoecious). These three types of flower were distinct in the level of sexual development, namely male flowers,
hermaphrodite flower type that serves as a female flower and hermaphrodite flower type that serves as male flowers. Nephelium
lappaceum has two types of flowers which are male and hermaphrodite flowers on separate trees (Lan, 1984). Sex variation is
also shown in Euphoria longan which has three types of flowers, male flowers, female flowers and hermaphrodite flowers which
are found on the same or different tree (Sunanto, 1990).

At the same stage of development, the female and hermaphrodite flowers have the same shape and size. The growing period of
lerak flower since 2 mm length to flowers bloom lasts for 35 days. The average length and width of the three types of flowers at
blooming stage was 3.84 mm and 3.34 mm, respectively (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The growth of flowers lerak

It appears that the growth of lerak flower follow the pattern of the sigmoid curve. Sigmoid pattern of growth was also reported
on the increase of the length and width of flowers Euphoria longan (Muhibbudin, 1992) and Litchi sinensis (Sauco & Menini,
1989).

Conclusion

1. Lerak inflorescence is panicle with cymosa flowers branches, terminal, erect, like a cone.
2. Development of lerak panicle can be grouped into four stages: 1) the induction phase of the inflorescence takes 9-10 days; 2)
the initiation stage of flowers on the inflorescence required 15 days; 3) stage of differentiation of interest required 30 days;
and 4) anthesis stage takes 35 days.
3. The male flowers, female flowers and hermaphrodite flowers that reach blooming stage was 55.94%, 26.42% and 9.20%
respectively. Flower buds that were not reach blooming stage and subsequently wither and fall was 8.44%. The growth curve
showed sigmoid pattern.

References

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