Marcela is a plant used in folk medicine in Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, whose properties are important to pharmaceutical industry. With the objective of evaluating seeds of different origins and collection times, achenes of marcela were collected in Eldorado do Sul and Viamão/RS, in March 11; March 24 and April 11. Achenes were classified in full, intermediary and shrivelled, according to size and characteristic of pericarp. Moisture was determined by the owen method at 105ºC (± 3ºC/24h), the vigor was evaluated by the test of electric conductivity and germination velocity. Germination was tested at 20ºC and constant light. Lots of March 24 presented best quality because the high amount of full seeds (58%) and satisfactory values of vigor and germination (64%). Seeds of April 11 obtained higher germination (82%), even so the amount of shrivelled seeds was very high (49%), lowering quality of the lot. In March 11, seeds presented larger humidity , characterizing its immaturity. Therefore, the difference in seed quality depends on the origin: the lots collected in Eldorado of Sul/RS presented superior quality. The best collection time was in March 24 and the maturation of the seeds seems to be related to the mother plant senescence.
Achyrocline satureioides; Asteraceae; medicinal plant; germinability
