Analysis of Hylocereus spp. diversity based on phenetic method

This study was aimed to determine number of distinguishing characters; the most dominant characters on dragonfruit (Hylocereus) classification; and dragonfruit classification relationship based on their morphological characters. Sampling was performed in Bhakti Alam Agrotourism, Pasuruan. Amount of observed parameters were 63 characters, including stem/branches segments, areolas, flower, fruit, and seeds characters. These characters were analyzed using descriptive and phenetic methods. Based on descriptive result, there were 59 distinguishing characters that affected classification of five dragonfruit species. They were white dragonfruit, pink dragonfruit, red dragonfruit, purplish-red dragonfruit, and yellow dragonfruit. Based on phenetic analysis, it was obtained a dendogram which showed the relationship of dragonfruit classification. Purplish-red and red dragonfruit were closely related with 50.7% in similarity value, which then these groups were referred as group VI. Pink dragonfruit and group VI were closely related with 43.3% in similarity value, which then these groups were referred as group IV. White dragonfruit and group IV were closely related with 21.5% in similarity value, which then these groups were referred to as group II. Meanwhile, yellow dragonfruit and group II were closely related with 8.5% in similarity value. Based on principal component analysis, there were 34 characters which influenced strongly dragonfruit classification. Two of them were the most dominant character that affected dragonfruit classification. They were curvature stem and number of fruit bracteola remnants, with component value 0,955.