Abstract: Pterocarpus indicus, commonly known as narra, is a significant tree in the Philippines, environmentally, economically and medically. This paper analyzes the leaf shape of the tree within the province of Cebu, where three sampling sites were identified, namely: northern, central and southern Cebu. 150 leaves per sampling site that contain seven leaflets were the subject of the analyses using the software SHAPE version 1.7. Generated eigenvalues of its first and second principal components were used for cluster analyses. Results showed that except for right leaflet-3, the northern and southern samples were closely clustered than those from the central. Even the average leaf shape is consistent with the leaflet shape. The difference of the shapes can be attributed to the tree’s phenotypic plasticity since climatic data (temperature, precipitation, humidity) and elevation differs from the sampling sites, thus making the tree a potential indicator of environmental changes. A more intense shape analyses that considers varying leaflet number, age of tree, spatial distribution and anthropogenic disturbances are highly recommended for future studies.
Keywords: Pterocarpus indicus, SHAPE, leaf plasticity, Cebu.
Title: Cluster Analyses of Pterocarpus indicus (Narra) Leaf Shape in Cebu, Philippines
Author: Edward Laurence L. Opena
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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