Morphological Identification of Local Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk.) Plants in Karang Tinggi Subdistrict, Central Bengkulu Regency, Indonesia

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk.) is an economically important tropical fruit species that is widely cultivated across Indonesia, including Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, and Nusa Tenggara. Despite its broad distribution, information on the morphological diversity of local jackfruit in Central Bengkulu Regency remains limited. This study aimed to characterise the morphological traits of local jackfruit accessions in Karang Tinggi District, Central Bengkulu Regency, Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. The research was conducted from November 2025 to January 2026 using 14 purposively selected local jackfruit trees collected from six villages. Morphological characterisation was performed based on 37 qualitative and quantitative descriptors according to the Descriptors for Jackfruit published by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI, 2000). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and cluster analysis with PBSTATCL software. Considerable morphological variation was observed among the accessions in both vegetative and reproductive characters. Cluster analysis separated the accessions into two major groups. Cluster I consisted of the Penanding and Renah Semanek accessions, whereas Cluster II included the Ujung Karang, Karang Tinggi, Taba Mutung, and Durian Demang accessions. Cluster I was characterised by pyramidal and irregular canopy architectures, elliptic leaves, fruit weights ranging from 5.2 to 5.5 kg, 30–39 seeds per fruit, and total soluble solids of 14–17 °Brix. In contrast, Cluster II exhibited broadly pyramidal, oblong, and irregular canopy architectures, narrowly elliptic and oblong leaves, fruit weights of 6.4–11.8 kg, 51–102 seeds per fruit, and total soluble solids ranging from 12 to 21 °Brix. These findings demonstrate the substantial morphological diversity of local jackfruit germplasm in Karang Tinggi District and provide a valuable foundation for germplasm conservation, the selection of superior accessions, and future jackfruit breeding programmes in Bengkulu Province.