The plastic responses of seedlings and young plants of two Brazilian native trees were studied. In G. hymenifolia no important morphological changes were found, except for starch reserve content that was lower in the lots in nutrient poor, drained soils (CCD), and nutrient poor, flooded soils (ALD). In Genipa americana the rich, drained soil group (CCN) developed adventitious roots with evident aerenchyma, these roots were more frequent in the rich flooded soil (ALN) lots. In this group we also detected lysogenic aerenchyma formation and lenticular hypertrophy in the stem. The diversity of responses to flooding and the wide distribution of Genipa americana along seasonal flooded areas, as the Pantanal in Miranda, MS, suggests a complex interaction between morphological and physiological adaptative characters, where the genetic potential play an important role.
adventitious rooting; aerenchyma; biomass; flooding stress
