The Comparison of Transpiration Rate of Vegetable Fern (Diplazium esculentum) in the Morning and Night at the State University of Medan Environment

Transpiration is a vital process for plants, where water absorbed by the roots is evaporated through the stomata on the leaves. Transpiration is not just a simple loss of water, but also plays an important role in regulating plant body temperature, transporting minerals from the roots to the leaves, and creating suction power that aids in water absorption from the soil. In the group of plants known as Pteridophytes, which include ferns, transpiration also plays a similar role, although there are some differences in its mechanisms and intensity when compared to seed plants such as gymnosperms or angiosperms. This study aims to compare the transpiration rate of five fern species (Diplazium esculentum) samples influenced by two conditions, namely in the morning and at night, and to analyze the factors that affect the comparison of transpiration rates in each condition, both external and internal factors, by conducting tests using cobalt chloride paper. The results of this study show differences in transpiration rates in the five observed samples, and the factors affecting the differences in transpiration rates of the vegetable fern (Diplazium esculentum) can also be analyzed