Distribution and Characteristics of Nypa Palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb.) in Southern Part of Cilacap Regency

Abstract

Nypa palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb.) is a kind of palm growing very well in the brackish water forest or along the river near its mouth. In some countries, it is considered to be invasive plant, so that its development should be controlled. The aim of this study is to find out the morphological distribution of the nypa along Cilacap and Kebumen coastal areas of Central Java. The method used in this study is survey. The sample was taken with purposive sampling technique by taking samples from nypa population randomly. The environmental factors measured included water salinity, water pH, soil pH, and soil type. The nypa characteristics measured included leaf morphology and size, and plant individual density. The results of this study based on the distance from the coastline showed that: 1) The nypa is mainly distributed along the river with Grey regosol and Alluvial Hydromorph soils; 2) erect leafed nypa are present close to the water while the curved leafed nypa were presence in the inner part of the areas; 3) Based on the rachis color, the young, medium, and old nypa leaves tend to have green, greenish yellow, and orange rachis respectively. 4) Based on survivability, the nypa seeds tend survive in water further inland.