The Miconia albicans (Sw.) Triana is a species native to Brazil, which has been used by traditional medicine in rural communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the most suitable temperature for seed germination and seedling development for M. albicans. For the evaluation of the effect of temperature on species, a total of 1200 seeds were placed under constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 ºC and under alternate temperatures of 20-30 and 25-35 ºC. Germination percentage (GP), germination speed index (GSI), average time of germination (ATG) and average length of primary roots and stems of seedlings were evaluated. The results indicate a GP above 63% for seeds under the constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 20-30 ºC. For GSI, values between 2.17 and 2.93 were observed for seeds under temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 20-30 ºC, which indicates greater vigor; almost all treatments indicated high ATG, longer than 15 days, which demonstrates that the seeds germinated slowly. Taking into consideration all parameters, the temperature of 25 ºC provided the best performance for the seeds of this species.
Cerrado; native species; seedlings; Melastomataceae; Miconia albicans
