The genus Calliandra Benth. (Leguminosae) has 134 exclusively Neotropical species; 42 species are distributed in the Chapada Diamantina and 32 are endemics to this area. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of light and growing media on germination and initial seedling development of the Calliandra viscidula and C. hygrophila. Seeds were placed under three different light conditions in laboratory conditions: light, dark, and light/dark (12h/12h). In nursery conditions, seeds were germinated in three different growing medias: (I) sand; (II) soil + sand; (III) vermiculite + soil + sand and they were submitted to 100% and 70% of natural light conditions. Evaluations were daily for 21 days for germinability, speed germination index (speed emergency index to nursery), average germination time and relative frequency. The variables evaluated during initial seedling development were: shoot and root lengths, leaf numbers, dry weight, shoot/root system, and leaf weight ratio. C. viscidula and C. hygrophila are photoblastically neutral and have better results to the 130 days under 70% light condition. The best development was achieved when seeds were grown in growing media III for C. viscidula and I and II for C. hygrophila.
Propagation; Photoblastism and Early growth1
