Maytenus ilicifolia is propagated by seeds and it is indicated to remove arils before sowing, what requires much time and work. An experiment to evaluate the influence of arils over seedlings production was installed in Embrapa Clima Temperado, in Pelotas, RS. Two accesses (30 and 91) of M. ilicifolia Gene Bank were used. The treatments were: T1 - seeds with arils removed immediately after the capsules (fruits) being opened (stored in cold room without arils); T2 - seeds with arils removed in the sowing’s day (stored in cold room with arils); T3 - seeds with arils. The characters evaluated were: days of sowing to emergence (DSE); emergence percentage (%G); aerial part length (CPA); stem base diameter (DBC) and number of leaves/seedling (NF). The arils in the seeds of M. ilicifolia did not influence the characters DSE, %G, DBC e NF, but can influence the aerial part length (CPA), depending on the population genetic constitution. It is not necessary to remove the seeds arils to sowing of M. ilicifolia.
Celastraceae; seeds; morphological characters; physiologic characters
