Diverse Morphology and Anatomy of <i>Citrus</i> Spp. (Orange) in South Sulawesi, Indonesia Plantations: A Comprehensive Study.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> South Sulawesi, one of the Indonesian provinces, is a producer of oranges with various varieties grown extensively for export and domestic use. Information about the diversity of oranges is crucial for plant breeding and germplasm conservation. This study aims to analyze the diversity of oranges from several plantation centers in South Sulawesi based on morphological and anatomical characteristics. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Orange leaf samples were collected from five plantation locations in South Sulawesi, namely Pangkep, Sidrap, Bantaeng, North Luwu and Selayar Regencies. The morphological characteristics were identified using descriptors from the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute and Tjitrosoepomo. The anatomical characteristics were identified by preparing stomata slides observed under a microscope at a magnification of 200-400x. Similarity analysis between orange varieties was conducted using the NTSYS software and presented in the form of a dendrogram. <b>Results:</b> The results of the diversity analysis of 13 orange varieties showed morphological variability in tree form and leaf shape, while anatomical characteristics showed variability in stomata size and stomata index. The similarity analysis showed that morphological characteristics formed clusters consisting of seeded selayar (SB), kaffir lime (NN), JC-selayar (JS), selayar-selayar (SS), batu (B), japansche citroen (JC) and dekopon (D) varieties, which had a 75% similarity with siam (SI) and sweet santang (SM) varieties. Meanwhile, the anatomical cluster analysis showed that the JC and SM orange varieties had a 79% similarity with the D variety. <b>Conclusion:</b> The dendrogram diagram can serve as a basis for determining desired plant traits in plant breeding activities.